Former Bayern Munich midfielder Stefan Effenberg has said Real Madrid are one of his picks to win this season’s Champions League, along with Manchester United and Barcelona.
The ex-Germany star believes his old team, now under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, won’t retain the trophy they won at the end of May, and he also said other German teams, such as last year’s finalists Borussia Dortmund will not reach the same dizzy heights as last season either.
Speaking to the Hamburger Morgenpost, the 45-year-old, who was part of the team that lost the dramatic final in 1999 to Manchester United, said: “I do not trust Bayern to defend their title this season, and don’t see Dortmund playing in the final either. The likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United are big threats who I think will get there instead.”
Effenburg also expressed his opinions on the transfer market and some of the big deals of the summer, including the 91 million euro deal that took Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur to Los Blancos. He stated it was impossible to justify spending such huge amounts, and that the fee only serves to increase the pressure on Bale.
“A transfer of €100m is crazy. I feel sorry for the boy because it is almost impossible to justify this money. Sometimes the fun is lost in football. With Ozil, I can see why Madrid went through with the move. The bottom line is that he is an outstanding footballer who will prevail in England,” he said.
