Bayern conclude winter training camp at Aspire

FC Bayern Munich wrapped up their eighth annual winter training camp at Aspire Zone yesterday. The winter camp has become a key part of the Bundesliga champion’s training preparations ahead of restarting the football season. The team concluded their final training session in the morning and flew back to Germany on the same day.
To mark the success of the training camp with Aspire Zone Foundation, Mohammed bin Fahad al-Thani, AZF’s external affairs representative, presented a commemorative shield to Hasan Salihamidzic, FC Bayern Munich’s Sporting Director.
Salihamidzic said: “Our training camp at Aspire Zone Foundation clearly achieved its objectives, and the players are refreshed and ready to resume playing in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
He added: “We held morning and evening training sessions which has prepared us well to face Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Friday in the Bundesliga, and SG Sonnenhof Grobaspach next Tuesday in a friendly. We’re also looking forward to our match against Turkish side Besiktas in the Champions League in February.”
Salihamidzic summed up the team’s experience at AZF saying: “The weather was ideal here, with temperatures around 25°c. Aspire Zone has great facilities and the pitches are world-class.”
Following a match against Qatari Club Al-Ahli SC, which Bayern won 6-0, Dutch midfielder Arjen Robben praised the training camp at Aspire Zone Foundation saying that the facilities and the atmosphere helped the team to focus. “It’s going to be interesting. We are looking forward to our upcoming matches, as we have some big games coming,” he said.
Defender Juan Bernat said: “We are totally satisfied with our winter training camp in Doha. The camp has become a key event in our annual calendar and AZF’s facilities are really impressive.”
He added: “Our goal is to clinch as many titles as possible this season with our new coach Jupp Heynckes. He’s brought real focus to the team.”
Young midfielder Kingsley Coman said: “I have had several training camps at Aspire with both FC Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain. My first visit to Aspire was several years ago when I played for Paris Saint-Germain in the U-17 Al Kass International Cup tournament. And I’ve been back since with Bayern several times. I’m getting used to the atmosphere here, and AZF’s facilities are really fantastic”.
In addition to Bayern Munich, Aspire Zone’s world-class facilities and pitches have attracted a number of other leading teams for training camps including Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, FC Schalke 04 in addition to Aspire-owned Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa and KAS Eupen, and the Tunisian team, who are currently training in AZF.