Kane responds to Hoeneß comments: aim is to win every competition | OneFootball

At the start of the Champions League season, FC Bayern immediately faces a top-class opponent. Ahead of the clash with Chelsea FC, a statement by Uli Hoeneß is causing a stir—and Harry Kane responds promptly.

The English international striker made it clear at the press conference before the match that he doesn’t think much of the underdog role. “A club like Bayern always expects to win every competition. I wouldn’t say we’re underdogs, even if we’re playing against the best teams in Europe,” explained the 32-year-old. “Now a long journey begins, hopefully until May. I don’t want to look too far ahead. We want to be as high up as possible in the league phase. Everything starts tomorrow.”

Previously, honorary president Uli Hoeneß had significantly dampened expectations. At a gala in Berlin, he surprisingly drew a comparison between FC Bayern and TSG Hoffenheim: “I’m looking forward to the coming season because we’re going into the Champions League season like Hoffenheim,” said the 73-year-old. With this, he was alluding to the underdog role, which he simultaneously sees as an opportunity for Munich: “That’s exactly our chance.”

Kane, on the other hand, has no intention of downplaying himself more than necessary. “We believe we can beat any team at the Allianz Arena. It’s up to you [journalists] and the fans to decide who the favorite is. We feel very good at the moment. If we want to beat Chelsea, we have to be at our best.”

Kane wants to avoid playoffs

The Munich side faces a group stage with special challenges. Alongside Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal FC are two more top-class opponents. The strain will be high—not least because of the comparatively small squad. Kane had already emphasized a few weeks ago that this is “probably one of the smallest squads” he has ever played in.

Nevertheless, the striker remains confident. Especially with regard to the Champions League format introduced last year, he has a clear goal, after Munich had to go into the playoffs last year. “February 2025 was very tough, physically and mentally, because we had to play Celtic in the playoffs. That was a hard time. But the playoffs don’t prevent success, as PSG showed last season. Of course, we want to be among the top eight and avoid the playoffs,” said Kane.

Kane has had a strong start to the season with eight goals in five games—which is also reflected in his remarks. “I always trust myself to score goals. At first, I had to get used to a lot of things and didn’t know how well it would go. I’m very satisfied with how things have gone so far and want to build on that. Our style of play suits me well. I have a lot of confidence and feel physically and mentally strong. If we’re doing well as a team, I’ll score a lot of goals.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.