The Bavarians failed to make home advantage count in last season’s final after they succumbed to Chelsea on penalties, and the midfielder is desperate to avoid a similar scenario
Bastian Schweinsteiger has admitted that he is still reeling from Bayern Munich’s failure in the 2012 Champions League final, but hopes to use the disappointment as a source of motivation.
The Bavarians were billed as favourites to be crowned European champions at the Allianz Arena last May but crashed to a penalty-shootout defeat at the hands of Premier League side Chelsea.
But while the pain of the loss still plays on Schweinsteiger’s mind, the Germany international is keen to use the experience as an added impetus to triumph in this season’s competition.
“Of course I still think about it, because it was almost a home game for us. The stage was all set for us to win, and the defeat just shouldn’t have happened,” he told Uefa.com.
“You try to come to terms with it but it doesn’t happen easily, because the match is still too present in my mind. But it also acts as added motivation for this season.
“Champions League nights are special. Playing the matches under the floodlights, listening to the anthem before the game and playing against Europe’s best teams all add to the flair.”
The 28-year-old initially broke into the Bayern ranks as a winger but gradually moved into the centre of midfield following his debut in 2002, and he explained his rise to first-team prominence and the differences between both positions.
“We had a lot of experienced players in our team [when I broke through]. At first, I watched how Michael Ballack and the older players behaved. You don’t just look at football skills, but their attitude and approach towards the game in general,” Schweinsteiger added.
“For me, moving into the middle was very important. Initially, I developed as a central midfielder but when I started as an amateur and in my first years as a professional, I played on the wings.
“When you play there you depend on other things. In the middle you can always bring yourself into the game and try to guide it in the right direction.”