Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes has already won the Bundesliga by a 20-point margin and also has his team in the semifinals of the DFB Pokal and Champions League. And yet since January it has been public knowledge that he will be replaced by former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola next season. So when Bayern drew the Barca in the Champions League semifinals, it set up a hellacious few weeks of questioning for Heynckes on the subjects of Guardiola, his former club and his influence on his next one.
On the very same day of the draw, Heynckes set the tone for how he will be handling any and all questions that reference Guardiola or the possibility of asking him for advice. From Reuters:
"Respect me and my work," Heynckes curtly told reporters on Friday. "I have never consulted anyone or asked for advice.
"I do not need anyone to study an opponent."
Keep in mind Heynckes is a man who has his team in position to win the treble this season and has already been replaced. He led Real Madrid to a Champions League title in 1998 and also managed Tenerife and Athletic Bilbao, among many others. The man knows what he's doing. So to have reporters asking him if he's going to request the help of someone already confirmed to replace him, who is 25 years younger with only four years of managerial experience at his hometown club, is enough to cause a person to renounce society and live out his days in the woods, hoping for civilization to fail.
Look at the picture at the top of this post. Jupp Heynckes is not a man you want to trifle with.
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