Guardiola gets down to business at Bayern Munich

BERLIN - Agence France-Presse

Bayern Munich new head coach Pep Guardiola and sporting director and Matthias Sammer (L) tour the team locker room inside the Allianz Arena. REUTERS photo

Pep Guardiola charmed the world's media as he took charge at Bayern Munich, but the new head coach has got straight down to business in his bid to maintain the European champion's treble-winning success ahead of Wednesday's first training session.
 
Such is the hype around his arrival that Bayern are expecting up to 25,000 fans for each of Guardiola's first two training sessions at Munich's Allianz Arena on Wednesday and Thursday evening.
 
Guardiola has pledged to maintain Bayern's success after the Bavarians won last season's Champions League title, lifted the German Cup and broke or equalled 25 Bundesliga records on the way to the German league title under predecessor Jupp Heynckes.
 
Having only arrived in Germany on Sunday, the 42-year-old Guardiola launched a charm offensive in front of more than 250 reporters at midday on Monday, then toured the club's training complex before a series of meetings on Tuesday.
 
The 42-year-old won over the assembled media with Germany's biggest daily Bild insisting "Pep is already German champion" in a nod to his impressive grasp of the language.
 
"Guardiola makes people dream," enthused Spain's El Mundo Deportivo, while France's L'Equipe labelled him "the Seducer" as the ex-Barcelona boss, who won 14 titles in four years at the Nou Camp, brings a touch of glamour to the Bundesliga.
 
Even Bayern's German league rivals were impressed with the arrival of the new coach.
 
"Now Bayern will be even likeable. Under Jupp Heynckes there had already been the danger of them being liked," quipped Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel in Bild, while Hans-Joachim Watzke, CEO of rivals Dortmund, said: "he's a good guy who comes across well".
 
Guardiola has brought a five-strong backroom staff with him, but keeps on Hermann Gerland, who worked alongside Heynckes, as an assistant coach.
 
Assistant Domenec Torrent, who was alongside Guardiola at Barcelona when they won 14 titles between 2008 and 2012, plus fitness trainer Lorenzo Buenaventura and video analyst Carles Planchart both join him from his Camp Nou reign.
 
His confidant Manel Estiarte will by Guardiola's side in Munich and the only new addition to his team is former Schalke video expert Lars Kornetka who will provide footage for analysis even during the games.