The 67-year-old is in confident mood ahead of his side’s Champions League semi-final and dismissed the need to seek advice from his future successor
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has insisted he knows Barcelona “very well” ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final and says he will not be speaking to former Blaugrana boss Pep Guardiola.
The former Camp Nou chief will take charge at the Bavarian club next season after a one-year sabbatical, and though some initially thought Heynckes may tap into the Spaniard’s wealth of knowledge on the Liga leaders, the 67-year-old believes he has all the knowledge he needs.
“I have respect for Josep Guardiola and we have a very good relationship. I don’t need any information from him, though, because I know Spanish football and Barcelona very well,” he told a press conference.
“Barcelona have dominated European football over the past few years. They have a philosophy which is unique to them.”
Heynckes, who has enjoyed spells in charge of Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao earlier in his career, then pointed out that working as a collective is what makes die Roten exceptionally strong this term.
He added: “If I were to sum up the strength of Bayern this season in one word, I would say ‘teamwork’.
“We play the most modern football in the club’s history. There are so many different things we can do to prepare but spontaneity and intuition are very important in football.”