The coach has achieved great domestic success, but glory in Europe has eluded him in both seasons, but the striker feels they have moved forward under him
Thomas Muller is adamant that Pep Guardiola has built on the legacy of Jupp Heynckes’ treble-winning Bayern Munich side of 2012-13.
Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund at Wembley to lift the Champions League and complete an unprecedented treble after success in the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal under the stewardship of Heynckes.
Since then, Bayern have continued to dominate domestically strolling to the Bundesliga titles in both seasons under Guardiola. However, success in Europe has not followed, with the Bavarian side falling at the Champions League semi-final stages to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, with many believing that the team has regressed since the Spaniard took over.
Muller, though, who scored 13 league goals this term, insists the team have continued to improve under Guardiola.
“The team Heynckes put together that won the Champions League, as well as the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, is one of the best Bayern sides ever” Muller told Squawka.
“He is so driven, so ambitious and so smart. When he left, whoever followed him was going to have to be very confident in themselves, because how can you top a treble like that?
“Only someone like Pep Guardiola could live up to that, and I think he has done, and he will continue to do. We all know what a great coach he is, the style he likes to play.”
The attacker was quick to talk about the effect both coaches and Louis van Gaal, who he credits for helping him become a global star, have had on him as a player.
“Heynckes and Guardiola have developed me so much, they have moulded me as a player. Heynckes played me a lot, and he was a striker himself, so he had good advice for me about scoring. And how can you not learn under Pep Guardiola?
“Van Gaal also had a huge effect on my development,” he added. “I am very grateful to him – he gave me great help and leadership, and he saw something in me as a forward where some others didn’t.”