Former Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón can look on at the tie between his former club and Bayern Munich and soak in the excitement.
“Bayern are one of the big teams in Europe and their opponents still respect them. Real Madrid are aware that Bayern are always a difficult team to beat and that they need to play two good games if they want to reach the final. They (Bayern) don’t seem to be at their best. At least that’s what we think, since they haven’t won the Bundesliga like they usually do. But one thing is also clear: no fan thinks it will be an easy game for Real,” Ramón Calderón told Tz’s Philipp Kessler (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Real are playing very well. They are a very balanced team, combining experienced players like (Toni) Kroos or Modric with young players like Vinicius, Rodrygo or (Jude) Bellingham in all areas of the team. They also have a great coach in Carlo Ancelotti. They are going to win La Liga and are already in the semi-finals of the Champions League, which means that the morale of the players is very high. They are very confident that they can win their 15th CL trophy.”
Calderón also noted that he had good a relationship with former Bayern Munich greats Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Franz Beckenbauer.
“I didn’t know (Uli) Hoeneß very well. I had more of a relationship with Rummenigge, whom I admired as a player and of whom I have a very high opinion as an official. I had the best relationship with Franz Beckenbauer. We often met at FIFA meetings and I met him several times in the ski resort of Kitzbühel, where he had a very nice house,” Calderón remarked. “We spent many hours having very interesting conversations about life, football, the history of our teams and the clashes between them. He was not only one of the greatest footballers in history, but also a very intelligent and entertaining conversation partner. I was very sad when I heard of his passing.”
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s massive Champions League showdown with Real Madrid? We’ve got you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show, where we dive into the game, Bayern Munich’s tenuous injury situation, a guess on Thomas Tuchel’s lineup, and a prediction on the game. Check it out on Spotify or below: