BERLIN, Feb. 21-- The outcome of the final eight-round of the Champions League is a foregone conclusion after Bayern Munich pleased its fans with a comfortable 5-0 over Besiktas Istanbul in the duel's first leg. Although Jupp Heynckes's team accomplished their 14's consecutive victories, only the crowd in the Munich arena saw reason to party, while the mood of some of the clubs key performers reached rock bottom. The explosive comments of Arjen Robben and reactions of other prominent squad members indicate the 72-year-old head coach is facing his biggest challenge yet: keeping everyone's temper under control. The tight competition in the 2017 German champion squad endangers the team's general balance. For the first time in over five years, all field players are without injury, and the Bavarian's stars are fighting for a place in the starting eleven with dogged determination. Instead of praising his team for an excellent second half, Heynckes expressed a severe warning to his players not to endanger the team's progress by doggedly pursuing their personal interests. "I'am responsible for all players, and therefore I decide, and do what I regard as the right step. Everyone will have to accept that. End of story," Heynckes stressed. "A club like Bayern Munich needs a squad of exceptional quality and everyone playing for a club like that has to be prepared to be sidelined for a game," Heynckes added. Stars like Thiago, Sebastian Rudy, and Juan Bernat left the Bavarian arena with stony faces after having missed nomination for the squad and being placed on the spectators stand. Others like Robben and Franck Ribery, at kick-off on the bench, expressed deep dissatisfaction. |