Guardiola gets down to business at Bayern

Newly-installed Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola on Tuesday got straight down to business ahead of Wednesday's first training session with the European champions. The 42-year-old Spaniard has pledged to maintain Bayern's success after they won last season's Champions League title, lifted the German Cup and broke or equalled 25 Bundesliga records on the way to the league title under predecessor Jupp Heynckes. Having only arrived in Germany on Sunday, Guardiola launched a charm offensive in front of more than 250 reporters at midday on Monday, then toured the club's training complex before a series of meetings on Tuesday. Such is the hype around his arrival that Bayern are expecting up to 25,000 fans for each of Guardiola's first two training sessions at Munich's Allianz Arena on Wednesday and Thursday. Guardiola won over the assembled media with Germany's biggest daily Bild insisting "Pep is already German champion" in a nod to his impressive grasp of the language. "Guardiola makes people dream," enthused Spain's El Mundo Deportivo, while France's L'Equipe labelled him "the Seducer" as the ex-Barcelona boss, who won 14 titles in four years at the Nou Camp, brings a touch of glamour to the Bundesliga.Even Bayern's German league rivals were impressed with the arrival of the new coach. "Now Bayern will be even likeable. Under Jupp Heynckes there had already been the danger of them being liked," quipped Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel in Bild, while Hans-Joachim Watzke, CEO of rivals Borussia Dortmund, said: "he's a good guy who comes across well". Guardiola has brought a five-strong backroom staff with him, but keeps on Hermann Gerland, who worked alongside Heynckes, as an assistant coach.  Assistant Domenec Torrent, fitness trainer Lorenzo Buenaventura and video analyst Carles Planchart are all reunited with him. His confidant Manel Estiarte will be by Guardiola's side in Munich and the only new addition to his team is former Schalke video expert Lars Kornetka, who will provide footage for analysis even during the games. Having spent up to four hours per day learning German in the last six months, Guardiola's ability to communicate in German will be an advantage, according to ex-Bayern coach Louis van Gaal, who led them to the 2010 league and cup double. "The language will be a deciding factor as German is a tough language for the Spanish to learn, just as Spanish is for the Dutch," the 61-year-old Holland boss, who twice coached Barcelona, told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. "I compare his time in Munich with mine in Barcelona. "When I started, I told the players 'correct me when I make mistakes', then you see who are the socially-aware boys in the team who want to help. "You can build relationships quicker and the German players are also like that, they will want to help." From: AFP