Catalan replaces Heynckes in the Munich dug-out next campaign.
Former Bayern Munich captain Franz Beckenbauer has admitted that it is going to be hard for incoming head coach Pep Guardiola to improve on what the Bavarians’ current manager Jupp Heynckes has achieved at the Allianz Arena this season.
Ex-Barcelona boss Guardiola takes over as Bayern coach on July 1, but Heynckes, who will step down at season’s end, has set the bar high by running away with this season’s league title, which worries Beckenbauer.
Bayern finished the weekend with a 20-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga having twice came from behind on Saturday to beat Fortuna Duesseldorf 3-2 at home.
They are just three wins short of being confirmed league winners and could be crowned German champions for the 23rd time as early as April 6 at Eintracht Frankfurt having already claimed several records so far this season.
“The expectations are, of course, very high,” Bayern’s former president Beckenbauer, a former World Cup-winning coach and captain, told Munich newspaper TZ.
“Everyone thinks when Guardiola comes everything will be better.
“Of course, there are things which can be improved, for example the team’s shape, but it is going to be hard to top this season.
“And if Guardiola’s team becomes German champions with only a 15-point lead, people will probably be disappointed.”
Bayern president Uli Hoeness agreed with Beckenbauer.
“I think we will be champions this year so the pressure on (Guardiola) and the club will be big. With Guardiola, you can only win the German championship, nothing else,” Hoeness told British tabloid The Sun.
“Jupp Heynckes is doing a fantastic job and Guardiola will be measured by what happens this year.”
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