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Interview

Benjamin Pavard: Bayern München’s French connection

The defender joined Bayern and promptly won the Champions League, on the back of winning the World Cup with France the previous season. With the latter tournament taking part in a few weeks, could history be about to repeat itself? In the meantime he tells us about his early days in Bavaria and his side’s flying start to this campaign

You joined Bayern in the summer of 2019. What were your first impressions of the club?

When I was playing for Stuttgart and we played at the Allianz Arena, you could feel the atmosphere of the club when you were in the tunnel. You feel the history. It’s a club that’s been at the top for many years, so you think, “Woah, that’s the pinnacle. It’s the best German club, the best in the world.” So obviously it makes you dream and it’s reward for all the sacrifices I’ve made since I was a child.

How would you explain what Bayern is like to those who haven’t walked down the tunnel?

From the outside, as a child, Bayern spoke to me. It’s like Real Madrid, Barcelona: they are big teams who’ve been at the top for many years. Bayern is… when you hear the names of all the French players who played here – Willy Sagnol, Bixente Lizarazu, Franck Ribéry – they are legends. They only talked highly of the club and it really is a good, family-oriented club. It’s a very demanding club, but we play football to win titles. Since I started playing football, I have wanted to win titles.

The first season you arrived, you won the Champions League. Tell us about that.

I have good memories of it. During my first year we came in and won everything. We came to Bayern to win titles and we won them all. I hope there will be others soon. I have a bitter taste from the final because I was injured. I didn’t play but I experienced it from the bench. I told myself it was maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I took advantage of it and I cheered on my teammates. It was a lot of emotions; the fans weren’t there so we couldn’t celebrate it with them. It was a bit weird but the Champions League is the best trophy you can win as a club. It’s a childhood dream that came true and I hope that there will be another one soon, with the fans, and I will be able to play.

Bayern players celebrate their win over Paris in the final

What’s it like to play for Julian Nagelsmann?

He is a tactician, everything is planned out; we know how we’re supposed to play, how we’re supposed to attack, how we need to defend by going forward. He is a tactician but he is a great person too, who is open to exchanges. To me, there are only positives. I’ve learnt from every coach I’ve played with and I learn a lot of things with this coach. He lives the matches fully. He is young too. I don’t know how to explain it but when I’m on the bench, I watch him sometimes and he is determined like all of us. There is a lot of energy and it’s all positive.

Bayern have made a great start in the Champions League so far. Do you feel unstoppable?

I wouldn’t go that far, but it is the Bayern mentality. Even if we are winning we still attack, press high and score as many goals as we can. We are determined in every match; we want to win every match. For now the Champions League is going well, but we've only played two matches so nothing is done. We’ll see what happens next. We play the Champions League to play big matches; everyone enjoys watching those matches. As players, it is even more exciting to have games against Barcelona and Inter Milan. There are big players in the three teams. We put in the work and it is going well.

It will come as no surprise, but the ultimate goal is to win the Champions League this season, correct?

Yes, of course. If we start the competition without thinking about going to the end, there’s no point in playing. I won the Champions League with Bayern for the first time, in my first season, and I want to relive those emotions. We need to take it match by match though; we shouldn’t underestimate the other teams. For example, I still think about what happened: we should have won against Villarreal and gone to the semi-finals. For now, we have to go through the group stage. We’ll see after that.

You joined Bayern in the summer of 2019. What were your first impressions of the club?

When I was playing for Stuttgart and we played at the Allianz Arena, you could feel the atmosphere of the club when you were in the tunnel. You feel the history. It’s a club that’s been at the top for many years, so you think, “Woah, that’s the pinnacle. It’s the best German club, the best in the world.” So obviously it makes you dream and it’s reward for all the sacrifices I’ve made since I was a child.

How would you explain what Bayern is like to those who haven’t walked down the tunnel?

From the outside, as a child, Bayern spoke to me. It’s like Real Madrid, Barcelona: they are big teams who’ve been at the top for many years. Bayern is… when you hear the names of all the French players who played here – Willy Sagnol, Bixente Lizarazu, Franck Ribéry – they are legends. They only talked highly of the club and it really is a good, family-oriented club. It’s a very demanding club, but we play football to win titles. Since I started playing football, I have wanted to win titles.

The first season you arrived, you won the Champions League. Tell us about that.

I have good memories of it. During my first year we came in and won everything. We came to Bayern to win titles and we won them all. I hope there will be others soon. I have a bitter taste from the final because I was injured. I didn’t play but I experienced it from the bench. I told myself it was maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I took advantage of it and I cheered on my teammates. It was a lot of emotions; the fans weren’t there so we couldn’t celebrate it with them. It was a bit weird but the Champions League is the best trophy you can win as a club. It’s a childhood dream that came true and I hope that there will be another one soon, with the fans, and I will be able to play.

Bayern players celebrate their win over Paris in the final

What’s it like to play for Julian Nagelsmann?

He is a tactician, everything is planned out; we know how we’re supposed to play, how we’re supposed to attack, how we need to defend by going forward. He is a tactician but he is a great person too, who is open to exchanges. To me, there are only positives. I’ve learnt from every coach I’ve played with and I learn a lot of things with this coach. He lives the matches fully. He is young too. I don’t know how to explain it but when I’m on the bench, I watch him sometimes and he is determined like all of us. There is a lot of energy and it’s all positive.

Bayern have made a great start in the Champions League so far. Do you feel unstoppable?

I wouldn’t go that far, but it is the Bayern mentality. Even if we are winning we still attack, press high and score as many goals as we can. We are determined in every match; we want to win every match. For now the Champions League is going well, but we've only played two matches so nothing is done. We’ll see what happens next. We play the Champions League to play big matches; everyone enjoys watching those matches. As players, it is even more exciting to have games against Barcelona and Inter Milan. There are big players in the three teams. We put in the work and it is going well.

It will come as no surprise, but the ultimate goal is to win the Champions League this season, correct?

Yes, of course. If we start the competition without thinking about going to the end, there’s no point in playing. I won the Champions League with Bayern for the first time, in my first season, and I want to relive those emotions. We need to take it match by match though; we shouldn’t underestimate the other teams. For example, I still think about what happened: we should have won against Villarreal and gone to the semi-finals. For now, we have to go through the group stage. We’ll see after that.

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

You joined Bayern in the summer of 2019. What were your first impressions of the club?

When I was playing for Stuttgart and we played at the Allianz Arena, you could feel the atmosphere of the club when you were in the tunnel. You feel the history. It’s a club that’s been at the top for many years, so you think, “Woah, that’s the pinnacle. It’s the best German club, the best in the world.” So obviously it makes you dream and it’s reward for all the sacrifices I’ve made since I was a child.

How would you explain what Bayern is like to those who haven’t walked down the tunnel?

From the outside, as a child, Bayern spoke to me. It’s like Real Madrid, Barcelona: they are big teams who’ve been at the top for many years. Bayern is… when you hear the names of all the French players who played here – Willy Sagnol, Bixente Lizarazu, Franck Ribéry – they are legends. They only talked highly of the club and it really is a good, family-oriented club. It’s a very demanding club, but we play football to win titles. Since I started playing football, I have wanted to win titles.

The first season you arrived, you won the Champions League. Tell us about that.

I have good memories of it. During my first year we came in and won everything. We came to Bayern to win titles and we won them all. I hope there will be others soon. I have a bitter taste from the final because I was injured. I didn’t play but I experienced it from the bench. I told myself it was maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I took advantage of it and I cheered on my teammates. It was a lot of emotions; the fans weren’t there so we couldn’t celebrate it with them. It was a bit weird but the Champions League is the best trophy you can win as a club. It’s a childhood dream that came true and I hope that there will be another one soon, with the fans, and I will be able to play.

Bayern players celebrate their win over Paris in the final

What’s it like to play for Julian Nagelsmann?

He is a tactician, everything is planned out; we know how we’re supposed to play, how we’re supposed to attack, how we need to defend by going forward. He is a tactician but he is a great person too, who is open to exchanges. To me, there are only positives. I’ve learnt from every coach I’ve played with and I learn a lot of things with this coach. He lives the matches fully. He is young too. I don’t know how to explain it but when I’m on the bench, I watch him sometimes and he is determined like all of us. There is a lot of energy and it’s all positive.

Bayern have made a great start in the Champions League so far. Do you feel unstoppable?

I wouldn’t go that far, but it is the Bayern mentality. Even if we are winning we still attack, press high and score as many goals as we can. We are determined in every match; we want to win every match. For now the Champions League is going well, but we've only played two matches so nothing is done. We’ll see what happens next. We play the Champions League to play big matches; everyone enjoys watching those matches. As players, it is even more exciting to have games against Barcelona and Inter Milan. There are big players in the three teams. We put in the work and it is going well.

It will come as no surprise, but the ultimate goal is to win the Champions League this season, correct?

Yes, of course. If we start the competition without thinking about going to the end, there’s no point in playing. I won the Champions League with Bayern for the first time, in my first season, and I want to relive those emotions. We need to take it match by match though; we shouldn’t underestimate the other teams. For example, I still think about what happened: we should have won against Villarreal and gone to the semi-finals. For now, we have to go through the group stage. We’ll see after that.

Benjamin Pavard: Bayern München’s French connection
Interview

Benjamin Pavard: Bayern München’s French connection

The defender joined Bayern and promptly won the Champions League, on the back of winning the World Cup with France the previous season. With the latter tournament taking part in a few weeks, could history be about to repeat itself? In the meantime he tells us about his early days in Bavaria and his side’s flying start to this campaign

You joined Bayern in the summer of 2019. What were your first impressions of the club?

When I was playing for Stuttgart and we played at the Allianz Arena, you could feel the atmosphere of the club when you were in the tunnel. You feel the history. It’s a club that’s been at the top for many years, so you think, “Woah, that’s the pinnacle. It’s the best German club, the best in the world.” So obviously it makes you dream and it’s reward for all the sacrifices I’ve made since I was a child.

How would you explain what Bayern is like to those who haven’t walked down the tunnel?

From the outside, as a child, Bayern spoke to me. It’s like Real Madrid, Barcelona: they are big teams who’ve been at the top for many years. Bayern is… when you hear the names of all the French players who played here – Willy Sagnol, Bixente Lizarazu, Franck Ribéry – they are legends. They only talked highly of the club and it really is a good, family-oriented club. It’s a very demanding club, but we play football to win titles. Since I started playing football, I have wanted to win titles.

The first season you arrived, you won the Champions League. Tell us about that.

I have good memories of it. During my first year we came in and won everything. We came to Bayern to win titles and we won them all. I hope there will be others soon. I have a bitter taste from the final because I was injured. I didn’t play but I experienced it from the bench. I told myself it was maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I took advantage of it and I cheered on my teammates. It was a lot of emotions; the fans weren’t there so we couldn’t celebrate it with them. It was a bit weird but the Champions League is the best trophy you can win as a club. It’s a childhood dream that came true and I hope that there will be another one soon, with the fans, and I will be able to play.

Bayern players celebrate their win over Paris in the final

What’s it like to play for Julian Nagelsmann?

He is a tactician, everything is planned out; we know how we’re supposed to play, how we’re supposed to attack, how we need to defend by going forward. He is a tactician but he is a great person too, who is open to exchanges. To me, there are only positives. I’ve learnt from every coach I’ve played with and I learn a lot of things with this coach. He lives the matches fully. He is young too. I don’t know how to explain it but when I’m on the bench, I watch him sometimes and he is determined like all of us. There is a lot of energy and it’s all positive.

Bayern have made a great start in the Champions League so far. Do you feel unstoppable?

I wouldn’t go that far, but it is the Bayern mentality. Even if we are winning we still attack, press high and score as many goals as we can. We are determined in every match; we want to win every match. For now the Champions League is going well, but we've only played two matches so nothing is done. We’ll see what happens next. We play the Champions League to play big matches; everyone enjoys watching those matches. As players, it is even more exciting to have games against Barcelona and Inter Milan. There are big players in the three teams. We put in the work and it is going well.

It will come as no surprise, but the ultimate goal is to win the Champions League this season, correct?

Yes, of course. If we start the competition without thinking about going to the end, there’s no point in playing. I won the Champions League with Bayern for the first time, in my first season, and I want to relive those emotions. We need to take it match by match though; we shouldn’t underestimate the other teams. For example, I still think about what happened: we should have won against Villarreal and gone to the semi-finals. For now, we have to go through the group stage. We’ll see after that.

Penalty Pedigree

Etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at. Scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo. Nibh tortor id aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl. Nulla at volutpat diam ut venenatis. At urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id nibh tortor id aliquet. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc mi. Dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut. Pharetra convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. Adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat scelerisque. In arcu cursus euismod quis. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis. Facilisi nullam vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus. At tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu non. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant. Vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus. Eget nullam non nisi est sit amet facilisis. Ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Elit sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti.

You joined Bayern in the summer of 2019. What were your first impressions of the club?

When I was playing for Stuttgart and we played at the Allianz Arena, you could feel the atmosphere of the club when you were in the tunnel. You feel the history. It’s a club that’s been at the top for many years, so you think, “Woah, that’s the pinnacle. It’s the best German club, the best in the world.” So obviously it makes you dream and it’s reward for all the sacrifices I’ve made since I was a child.

How would you explain what Bayern is like to those who haven’t walked down the tunnel?

From the outside, as a child, Bayern spoke to me. It’s like Real Madrid, Barcelona: they are big teams who’ve been at the top for many years. Bayern is… when you hear the names of all the French players who played here – Willy Sagnol, Bixente Lizarazu, Franck Ribéry – they are legends. They only talked highly of the club and it really is a good, family-oriented club. It’s a very demanding club, but we play football to win titles. Since I started playing football, I have wanted to win titles.

The first season you arrived, you won the Champions League. Tell us about that.

I have good memories of it. During my first year we came in and won everything. We came to Bayern to win titles and we won them all. I hope there will be others soon. I have a bitter taste from the final because I was injured. I didn’t play but I experienced it from the bench. I told myself it was maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I took advantage of it and I cheered on my teammates. It was a lot of emotions; the fans weren’t there so we couldn’t celebrate it with them. It was a bit weird but the Champions League is the best trophy you can win as a club. It’s a childhood dream that came true and I hope that there will be another one soon, with the fans, and I will be able to play.

Bayern players celebrate their win over Paris in the final

What’s it like to play for Julian Nagelsmann?

He is a tactician, everything is planned out; we know how we’re supposed to play, how we’re supposed to attack, how we need to defend by going forward. He is a tactician but he is a great person too, who is open to exchanges. To me, there are only positives. I’ve learnt from every coach I’ve played with and I learn a lot of things with this coach. He lives the matches fully. He is young too. I don’t know how to explain it but when I’m on the bench, I watch him sometimes and he is determined like all of us. There is a lot of energy and it’s all positive.

Bayern have made a great start in the Champions League so far. Do you feel unstoppable?

I wouldn’t go that far, but it is the Bayern mentality. Even if we are winning we still attack, press high and score as many goals as we can. We are determined in every match; we want to win every match. For now the Champions League is going well, but we've only played two matches so nothing is done. We’ll see what happens next. We play the Champions League to play big matches; everyone enjoys watching those matches. As players, it is even more exciting to have games against Barcelona and Inter Milan. There are big players in the three teams. We put in the work and it is going well.

It will come as no surprise, but the ultimate goal is to win the Champions League this season, correct?

Yes, of course. If we start the competition without thinking about going to the end, there’s no point in playing. I won the Champions League with Bayern for the first time, in my first season, and I want to relive those emotions. We need to take it match by match though; we shouldn’t underestimate the other teams. For example, I still think about what happened: we should have won against Villarreal and gone to the semi-finals. For now, we have to go through the group stage. We’ll see after that.

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

You joined Bayern in the summer of 2019. What were your first impressions of the club?

When I was playing for Stuttgart and we played at the Allianz Arena, you could feel the atmosphere of the club when you were in the tunnel. You feel the history. It’s a club that’s been at the top for many years, so you think, “Woah, that’s the pinnacle. It’s the best German club, the best in the world.” So obviously it makes you dream and it’s reward for all the sacrifices I’ve made since I was a child.

How would you explain what Bayern is like to those who haven’t walked down the tunnel?

From the outside, as a child, Bayern spoke to me. It’s like Real Madrid, Barcelona: they are big teams who’ve been at the top for many years. Bayern is… when you hear the names of all the French players who played here – Willy Sagnol, Bixente Lizarazu, Franck Ribéry – they are legends. They only talked highly of the club and it really is a good, family-oriented club. It’s a very demanding club, but we play football to win titles. Since I started playing football, I have wanted to win titles.

The first season you arrived, you won the Champions League. Tell us about that.

I have good memories of it. During my first year we came in and won everything. We came to Bayern to win titles and we won them all. I hope there will be others soon. I have a bitter taste from the final because I was injured. I didn’t play but I experienced it from the bench. I told myself it was maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I took advantage of it and I cheered on my teammates. It was a lot of emotions; the fans weren’t there so we couldn’t celebrate it with them. It was a bit weird but the Champions League is the best trophy you can win as a club. It’s a childhood dream that came true and I hope that there will be another one soon, with the fans, and I will be able to play.

Bayern players celebrate their win over Paris in the final

What’s it like to play for Julian Nagelsmann?

He is a tactician, everything is planned out; we know how we’re supposed to play, how we’re supposed to attack, how we need to defend by going forward. He is a tactician but he is a great person too, who is open to exchanges. To me, there are only positives. I’ve learnt from every coach I’ve played with and I learn a lot of things with this coach. He lives the matches fully. He is young too. I don’t know how to explain it but when I’m on the bench, I watch him sometimes and he is determined like all of us. There is a lot of energy and it’s all positive.

Bayern have made a great start in the Champions League so far. Do you feel unstoppable?

I wouldn’t go that far, but it is the Bayern mentality. Even if we are winning we still attack, press high and score as many goals as we can. We are determined in every match; we want to win every match. For now the Champions League is going well, but we've only played two matches so nothing is done. We’ll see what happens next. We play the Champions League to play big matches; everyone enjoys watching those matches. As players, it is even more exciting to have games against Barcelona and Inter Milan. There are big players in the three teams. We put in the work and it is going well.

It will come as no surprise, but the ultimate goal is to win the Champions League this season, correct?

Yes, of course. If we start the competition without thinking about going to the end, there’s no point in playing. I won the Champions League with Bayern for the first time, in my first season, and I want to relive those emotions. We need to take it match by match though; we shouldn’t underestimate the other teams. For example, I still think about what happened: we should have won against Villarreal and gone to the semi-finals. For now, we have to go through the group stage. We’ll see after that.

Penalty Pedigree

Etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at. Scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo. Nibh tortor id aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl. Nulla at volutpat diam ut venenatis. At urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id nibh tortor id aliquet. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc mi. Dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut. Pharetra convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. Adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat scelerisque. In arcu cursus euismod quis. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis. Facilisi nullam vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus. At tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu non. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant. Vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus. Eget nullam non nisi est sit amet facilisis. Ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Elit sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti.

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