Let’s not be stamped by ‘losers’ tag

Posted Friday, May 24, 2013 by The Sun

THOMAS MULLER fears defeat to Borussia Dortmund tomorrow will see this Bayern Munich side forever branded as ‘losers’.

For if they fail to beat their fellow Germans at Wembley, it will be Bayern’s third Champions League final heartache in four years.

This season’s runaway Bundesliga champions lost to Jose Mourinho’s Inter in the 2010 final in Madrid and last season succumbed to Chelsea in a penalty shootout in their own Allianz Arena, as well as finishing runners-up in the league and German Cup.

They are favourites to beat Dortmund, who finished 25 points behind them in this Bundesliga campaign.

But Germany forward Muller is taking nothing for granted.

He said: “Every sportsman wants success. It is very important.

“What would happen if you don’t win? Well, everyone has to cope with that themselves.

“It’s important for us to win because if you lose three times you get the loser tag and we don’t want that stamped on us.

“It’s a spicy game and I like spicy food. It’s great we’re playing Dortmund. Everything is about this final. Everything is big. Excitement is big. You can win and lose a lot.

“We were runners-up three times last season so we know where we want to go.

“In football you always look forward and it’s about the next game you play. Of course, you look back also but last year’s final and the one of three years ago has nothing to do with this game, apart from the players that played in those two games.

“Last year we’d loved to have won it. We have to win this cup — whether it is in Munich or London is not so important to me.

“It seems this season we’ve been stronger away from home than we have been at home so it’s looking good for us.

“The pressure is always there with Bayern but we can cope with it. We’re a stronger team now. The players developed and we made great signings that improved the team.”

This is an historic all-German final — the first in Champions League history.

“After Euro 2000, things have really changed. Two teams in the Champions League final is the proof of this.”