Spanish midfielder Javier Martinez is the main reason for the latest progress of 2017 German champions Bayern Munich, said head coach Jupp Heynckes and teammates at the Bavarian club.
“Since he returned to midfield we have gained stability and class,” the 72-year-old commented in advance of the German classico against Borussia Dortmund taking place this Saturday evening in the arena of the Blacks and Yellows.
Dutch striker Arjen Robben called Martinez “very important” and told German media:”He is a weapon in midfield, but that is nothing new. We had been very successful with Javi back in 2013. But now it seems to be new that Javi is one of the team’s cornerstones.”
For Bayern Munich keeper Sven Ulreich, currently replacing sidelined Manuel Neuer, Martinez is the “main reason” for the side’s new stability in the defense. “We needed someone like him as he is doing many k’s, is closing spaces and is amazingly precise in his passing game,” Ulreich commented.
2013 treble winner Bayern Munich are the big favorites when millions of football fans are waiting for the kick-off of the most entertaining duel of the last years in German football. Since Heynckes took over at the end of September 2017, the Bavarians achieved six victories in six games clearing away opponents in the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League.
When investigating about Bayern’s latest success, football fans don’t end up with Bayern Munich’s most successful striker Robert Lewandowski or genius like midfielders such as Thiago Alcantara, but get aware of Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes’ secret service on duty beyond headlines and spotlight.
Other than the former Bayern coaches such as Pep Guardiola, the current coach of Premier League side Manchester City, and Italian star coach and three times Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti, the 1974 World Cup winner is counting on Martinez as a defensive midfielder. Guardiola and Ancelotti saw Martinez’s best value for the team as a central defender.
Due to the quality of Bayern defenders such as Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, Martinez mostly found himself sidelined on the bench under Ancelotti.
“My opinion regarding the best position for Javi s slightly different,” Heynckes emphasized. For some Heynckes’ decision appears like a flashback to the club’s year with the most success. In 2013 Martinez was the ruling chief in midfield when Bayern won the treble.
The Spaniard was Heynckes’ desired player and the most expensive one in the clubs history when joining the side in 2012 for 40 million Euro coming from Athletic Bilbao.
Martinez’s operational area is right between the battling lines up front and the last row in the back. In the 2013 Champions League final against Dortmund Martinez was Munich’s best figure when beating the German rival in London by 2-1. “It is my job to stop opponent’s attacks before they reach our back row, but at the same time get our forwarding game started and organize its structure,” the Spanish international commented.
Since Heynckes returned for his fourth spell in Munich Martinez advanced to Bayern’s figurehead as Heynckes’ first intention was to regain stability in the back. When beating Celtic Glasgow in the clubs latest Champions League group game 2-1, it was Martinez scoring the winning goal with a header.
The pictures of Martinez walking off the pitch suffering from a cut above the eyebrow, blood running down his face were designed to consolidate the Spaniard’s position to be indispensable. “Not many players score a goal like that,” Heynckes said. Martinez told the media with a white plaster on his stitched up wound:”When I score a goal every time I get a bleeding cut, it’s fine with me to happen in every game.”
This Saturday in the German classico against Dortmund there might be new reason to suffer again for Martinez.