Thomas Mueller: Bayern Munich hopes to be the first team to play the Champions League final at home

Ahead of their two day sojourn to India, Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller shares his excitement and also speaks on his most memorable moment in his short career span so far.

Jan 8, 2012 2:49:00 AM

More On :  Bayern, Germany
Germany: Bayern Munich, Thomas Mueller
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EXCLUSIVE |

Thomas Mueller has seen his stock rise tremendously since his first breakthrough back in 2009. Fast forward three years and the 22 year old has won the Best Young Player and the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup, won every major title domestically and also featured in the Champions League final.

His strength lies in getting the basics right coupled with his composure, which reminds tennis fans of a young Pete Sampras, also dubbed ‘Mr. Cool’.

In an exclusive interview, Thomas Mueller talks on what success at a young age means to him and the ambitions with Bayern Munich this season:

Question: : What does the trip to India mean to you?

Mueller: I am happy to come back to India for a second time after the visit to Kolkata and Siliguri in January 2009. But we only have a little time in Delhi as we are coming straight from our training camp in Qatar and fly back to Munich directly after the match.

Question: What is the message that you will be carrying for millions of soccer fans in India?

Mueller: Soccer is the best team sport in the world and it is good to hear that more and more kids are playing in India.

Question: Personally, what does it mean to see success at such a young age?

He is a special player. There is one quality I liked about Thomas; he is always relaxed when he is in the box. I also like the way he finished off chances.
Mueller: I became a professional soccer player because I love soccer. The titles that I have won at a young age are a further inspiration to work hard to continue to be successful.

Question: You were the Best Young Player of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and also the Golden Boot winner of the World Cup. Please recall some of those memorable accomplishments. Were you expecting it at that age?

Mueller: Oh, the 2010 World Cup is already history. Surely it was a steep rise for me, but besides the luck that I have had there has been a lot of work which I have put into my career so far. I haven't achieved all this because I am a nice boy, but because I was able to convince my coaches of my quality. But honestly things have been going great for me!

 

Question: What are the lessons for young kids who want to grow up to be a player like you? What are the basics of being a world-class player?

Mueller: One has to consequently follow their goals, while you have to do without certain things. But that has never bothered me as I wanted to become a professional soccer player. I have worked hard and fought for my dream.

Question: How different is it to play at FC Bayern Munich compared to other international clubs?

Mueller: I have only played for Bayern Munich and cannot make a judgement on this. At FCB I have everything what I need.

Nothing Beats Hard Work | "I have worked hard and fought for my dream"

Question:What’s the importance of this trip to India for you?

Mueller: I hope the Indian soccer fans can enjoy a great game against the Indian national team.

Question: As an international soccer player you travel so frequently, what is the best thing and the worst thing about it?

Mueller: The nice thing is one gets to visit many cities and countries, like Delhi now. But every trip always includes fatigue, especially in weeks with midweek fixtures when we have a game every three/four days.

Question: What is your most memorable moment in soccer till now?

Mueller: My first season as a professional with the UEFA Champions League final and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Question: What are your plans and goals for the ongoing season?

Mueller: At FC Bayern the Bundesliga title is always the first priority. Besides that we want to reach the German Cup final in Berlin then it is a great experience. And then there is the dream of playing the Champions League final at home in May 2012. No team has ever achieved this, so we hope to be the first. But that will be a rocky ride until then. And also we are travelling to the 2012 European Championships not to finish third, but win the title.

More information about the match and where to buy tickets online are available at www.audifootballsummit.in

The official Twitter account of the Audi Football Summit can be found under http://twitter.com/#!/AudiFS2012

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