The German midfielder believes that his side have had a successful season, despite their disappointment in the Champions League and DFB Pokal
Bayern Munich midfielder Sebastian Rode has denied that finishing the season with only the Bundesliga title represents a failure for his side.
The Bavarians won their third straight championship with ease but fell short in Europe, losing 5-3 on aggregate to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals. Additionally, they were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by Borussia Dortmund at the same stage.
However, the former Eintracht Frankfurt man still feels that his side have had a successful campaign and defended their performance at Camp Nou, where they lost 3-0 in the first leg after a late collapse.
“Whoever says that the Bundesliga is only a consolation prize is being naughty,” he told Bild.
“It is clear that Bayern’s aim is to become the best team in Europe and we were close to it. We played 77 great minutes against Barcelona, then unfortunately we did badly.
“But we restored our honour in the second leg. We put up a great fight and saw the reaction of the fans, so we can end the season with our heads held high.
“We can be proud of what we have achieved.”
Rode moved to Bayern last summer and is delighted with how he has settled into his new surroundings.
“I would say that my first year went well. I am well integrated in the team, I played in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in my career, even if it was only for 20 minutes. It was quite an experience.”