Kieran Tierney was just 11 months old when Jupp Heynckes won his first Champions League title. When this remarkable German coach faces Celtic on Wednesday night, it will be his first European game since securing a second title four years ago.
Heynckes’ story is interwoven with the continent’s elite competition. What makes the tale all the more remarkable is that he left both Real Madrid, in 1998, and Bayern Munich, some 15 years later, shortly after delivering those glories.
Poor domestic results decided his fate at Madrid. The impending arrival of Pep Guardiola eased him out in Bavaria.
Jupp Heynckes won the Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2013
Now aged 72, Heynckes is back. Back for a fourth spell at the helm of Bayern after Carlo Ancelotti was fired. Back into a tournament that has defined his career.
As ever in Munich, the expectation is to win. After the 3-0 loss against Paris-Saint Germain that put paid to Ancelotti, Bayern have a bit of making up to do in Group B.
Heynckes, though, is far too long in the tooth to predict a simple evening. He is adamant the test presented by Brendan Rodgers’ side will not be underestimated.
Tierney was just 11 months old when Jupp Heynckes won his first Champions League title
For all the contrast in resources between the two clubs, discounting the possibility of Celtic contending for a last-16 place is not an option.
‘Celtic are a physical, aggressive team,’ said Heynckes. ‘They have won the Scottish Premiership six times in a row.
‘In the Champions League last season, they drew twice against Manchester City and then away to Borussia Monchengladbach. That tells you what you need to know.
‘Celtic are a very good, positive team. That is normal in the Champions League and we have to be well prepared.
‘You shouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating other teams. Celtic are a very competitive, experienced team with a great coach who was at Liverpool.
‘I know people forecast that Bayern and PSG are the favourites in this group but you need to play these games and then evaluate. I would never make the mistake of underestimating Celtic.
Heynckes is back for a fourth spell at the helm of Bayern after Carlo Ancelotti was fired
‘They have a great history in Europe but of course we want to qualify for the next round.’
Heynckes’ caution may also have roots in a slightly chequered history with Scottish opponents. He can recall the era, since wiped away by a tsunami of television money and other finance, when a nation of five million people produced teams to threaten at the sharp end of European competition.
As a player, he was part of the Monchengladbach team that defeated Aberdeen in the 1972 UEFA Cup — and also featured for West Germany in a 1-1 friendly at Hampden the following year.
A move into coaching with Gladbach saw him twice humbled by Jim McLean’s Dundee United. A 5-2 aggregate trouncing in 1981 preceded another, perhaps even more painful, loss as goals in Germany from Iain Ferguson and Ian Redford put United into the 1987 UEFA Cup final.
Subsequent aggregate successes with Bayern over Hearts, in the UEFA Cup, and Rangers, in the European Cup, provide more positive memories.
Heynckes (left) with Bayern’s Franz Beckenbauer when he played for rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach
‘I can recall those games, even if it is more than 40 years since I played against Aberdeen,’ reflected Heynckes. ‘Scottish football has had highs and lows and difficulties — also at international level — but it has always been a way to play football that has had success.
‘I think if you look at Scotland now, it’s always difficult to maintain a high level and to be competitive in the Champions League and make it past the group stage — because if you look at the transfer window, you see how crazy it has become and how difficult it is even for well-established teams and clubs to keep up momentum.
‘Look at Paris, or the English teams. They just invest in horrific numbers. Manchester City and Manchester United invested a lot of money, 600 million euros — that’s just crazy. Clubs like Celtic and others such as Anderlecht can’ t keep up.’
Even Bayern are finding the pace of investment problematic. The way they were outclassed by PSG would have been unthinkable in their Treble-winning 2012-13 season — a campaign crowned by Arjen Robben’s winning goal against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final.
Heynckes, though, expressed no nostalgia for that period. Saturday’s 5-0 Bundesliga win over Freiburg, which kicked off a tenure expected to last until the end of the season, was instead highlighted as the most relevant piece of history.
The Bayern coach took training on Tuesday as his side prepared for the visit of Celtic
‘I won two finals for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich but I don’t look back like that,’ he insisted.
‘Even so, this is a thrilling, exciting competition and it has a lot of importance. The level is unbelievably high.
‘I think that, in this tournament, there is always the possibility to lose a match. We lost to Arsenal a few years ago, so it’s nothing new.
‘But we have great ambitions in this competition and it would be good to show the same performance we did against Freiburg.
‘We can maybe even show we have improved in some way. We have analysed the game and were very critical about some things.
‘It’s not easy when a new coach comes in but I have the advantage that I know the club very well.
Celtic have hopes of reaching the last 16 after Bayern were well beaten by PSG last month
‘We have trained very well in the heat in Munich — it is 24 degrees and it feels like spring — not autumn.’
Bayern will be without the injured Javi Martinez against Celtic, with either Arturo Vidal or Sebastian Rudy expected to take over in central midfield.
Already, Heynckes’ early impact has drawn praise from his players. Germany defender Jerome Boateng — who admitted he considered leaving when Ancelotti was in charge — insists the squad now have a smile back on their faces.
‘Of course, there is still a very important role in terms of how each coach speaks to the squad,’ said Boateng.
‘Every player is different and has different needs. But on Saturday you could see that we were having fun again when we were playing and that shows that the coach is doing a good job.
‘This will be a important match for us, especially after the defeat in our last Champions League match. We want to make up for that with victory against Celtic. We are motivated and we know what is at stake.’