Lahm wants to win the treble for Guardiola

Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm is hopeful the club can send-off outgoing coach Pep Guardiola by winning the treble. 

Guardiola will call time on three years at Munich at the end of the current season as he seeks a move to England’s Premier League, but Lahm said he has provided Bayern with some special moments.

Lahm is sad to see Pep go, although he is looking forward to working under another one of the world’s most recognised coaches next season when Carlo Ancelotti arrives.

“I have had a lot of top coaches, from Germany like [Ottmar] Hitzfeld, [Felix] Magath, [Jupp] Heynckes, and international greats like [Louis] Van Gaal, Pep Guardiola now and then another one coming in Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the Champions League on a number of occasions,” Lahm told SC.

“So I definitely look forward to that, but on the other hand I have had and still have a very good time with Pep. We understand each other well and it is enjoyable to play under him.

“But I have been playing since I was six and players and coaches come and go, so it is a natural part of the way things go and you accept and respect these decisions.”

Bayern have spent the last two weeks in Qatar training for the second half of the season during the Bundesliga’s winter break, and Lahm is hoping the work put in can help launch Munich into a treble bid.

“The aim is to play successful football. For us that means that there should be titles at the end of the season,” he said.

“Anyone who knows FC Bayern and our history as well as our recent seasons knows we can play for the title in all competitions and win them. Our aim is always to go for the maximum and get all three titles, but we know how difficult that is.

“A German team has only won the treble once for a reason, but in Qatar we had the conditions to prepare in the best possible way. It is still a long way.

“It is now January and in May the prizes will be handed out. Of course it would be perfect to go home with all three titles at the end of Guardiola’s time, we all have that aim.”

Munich sit atop the Bundesliga table eight points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, and will be looking to extend that lead when action resumes against Hamburg on Friday.