Jupp Heynckes speaks out on treble-winning 2012/13 season | OneFootball

The 2011/12 season was the last time that Bayern München had gone without winning a single trophy until Bayer Leverkusen ripped the Bundesliga title from their grasp just over a year while Bayern exited the Champions League at the semi-final stage, and were dumped out of the DFB-Pokal by Saarbrücken in the second round.

The following year, the record German champions went on to win all three trophies in emphatic fashion.

“The [2011/12] season was unfortunate. But a runner-up finish [in the Bundesliga], plus two lost finals in the Champions League and the DFB-Pokal - other clubs would be licking their fingers for that,” said Heynckes. “For FC Bayern, however, it was terrible. The pain was deep. We corrected that in 2013.”

“We grew as a team and came back, proving impressively that we can win the three titles. Suddenly, all the automatisms kicked in. When we eliminated Barcelona so comfortably in the semi-finals, I said to my wife: We're going to win the Champions League. A coach has a feeling for that. And that's exactly what happened.”

Now, as he approaches his 80th birthday, Jupp Heynckes reflects not only on his storied career but also on the personal milestones that have defined his later years.

"Thank you, I'd say I'm doing well for my age," Heynckes said. "I went to the pool this morning to strengthen my cardiovascular system. The years pass, but age is just a number."

Despite his calm demeanour and modesty, Heynckes is acutely aware that reaching this age is no small feat. “I know that not everyone lives to be 80; that's not a given. When I had surgery two and a half years ago, I was very lucky. I lost about 10 kilograms during my time in the hospital and afterwards. I had to actively gain that weight back.”

His recovery, like many of his triumphs on the touchline, was driven by discipline and purpose. “Today I feel fit again. I'm an active person, and I take as many walks as possible per week in our wonderful natural surroundings here on the Lower Rhine—long and strenuous ones that last for hours.”

Those walks, he explains, are more than just exercise. “These are wonderful walks through the woods, past the fields, the lakes, the mills. I can let my thoughts run free there.”