体坛英语新闻：Interview: China is inspiring for all of Bayern Munich: Philipp Lahm

MUNICH, Germany, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm said in an interview with Xinhua on Friday that his team's upcoming visit to China might be a good omen for the new season.

In the interview, he also talked about Bastian Schweinsteiger's reported transfer to Manchester United, the team's ambitions for the upcoming season, his little son and his love of Chinese food.

XINHUA: Your Chinese fans love your son and want to know, if you want Julian to be a football player in the future? And what position do you want him to play?

Lahm: At first he is well and he's about to go to kindergarten. Regarding football, there is no must. He must go to kindergarten and after that attend school. If you ask me he does not need to be a professional player later. Important for me is that he has fun whatever he is doing. As for the position, it is the same.

XINHUA: Meaning it does not matter if he is a right back or plays in midfield, both positions his father has played in?

Lahm (laughing): You are right I have seen quite something on the pitch as far as positions are concerned. He could even play left back then. If he decides to be a footballer, he will get our full support. But we as parents are patient knowing there so many things to try.

XINHUA: Which Chinese dish is your favorite or do you try the most - we know you are an artist with chopsticks and have no problem speaking Chinese?

Lahm (laughing): Definitely duck when we go to a Chinese restaurant - duck is always something special, vegetables with it - oh, that's excellent. But it has to be done by an expert. Well done, fried at its best. That's what I go for very often. I love it.

XINHUA: Will you consider about playing in the Chinese football league in the future or become a coach of a Chinese football team?

Lahm: Sorry, but both is no possibility for me. Not because it is China, that would be the same regarding any other country. The reason is that I have decided to finish my career in Munich. I have been a member of this club and team since 1995, with only two years away at VfB Stuttgart at the beginning of my career. It is certain I will stop playing in Munich, and I can't imagine returning to a football pitch every day after retiring. Never say never, but at the moment it's nothing I am considering.

XINHUA: Is there any possibility that you will return to the German national team, including joining the Olympic team?

Lahm: The national team is a definite decision, I thought about it for a long time. If I make decisions, I stick to them. It was no overnight decision, it was one made after weeks and month of thinking about it. Regarding the Olympic Games: That never has been a topic for me. Some started to write about it. But I know the effort was put in by those who qualified and I would be the last to demand a place in that team and someone else would have to stay home instead. The under-21 Juniors have invested a lot of effort and deserve to participate at a great and very special sports event.

XINHUA: You are artistic with chopsticks and your Chinese is brilliant as we heard - it is a pity that you missed your club's last China tour in 2012...

Lahm (laughing): ... for good reason as you know, my wife was pregnant and we expected Julian to show up at the time. For nothing in the world did I want to be far away at that time. I was allowed to stay home and missed the tour, but not Julian. (More)

XINHUA: In China you are one of the most admired Bayern players. And this time you are on board, how much are you looking forward when it comes to your first China trip?

Lahm: Oh that is something very special to me. It is a country very far away from home and on top - to know there is such a great amount of Bayern fans - up to 90 million as I heard - is thrilling. 90 million that's more than Germany has inhabitants. The whole team, including me, is very much looking forward to the trip. We have a tight schedule and three games within a week, but in between we will meet a lot of fans and interesting people. We are prepared to have fun.

XINHUA: Looking at your tight schedule, is it possible at all to get to know a foreign country?

Lahm: You might not have time to go on a sightseeing tour, but you get a deep impression of a country and its people. We don't sit in the hotel looking at the floor all time or in the bus not looking outside. If you do a trip like that you get to know people in a certain way, but you do. You learn something no matter how tight your schedule is. After all we know what fans do to see us, meaning long journeys to see a game. Most fans in China don't have the possibility to see us in Germany, to play well is an obligation.

XINHUA: A trip like that does not interrupt the pre-season preparations?

Lahm: We have been in action for two weeks already, so we have laid a fundament already, and it is only a week. Despite that we are determined to play on a high level.

XINHUA: So the trip can be seen as a combination of vacation and work, and on top of everything, it strengthens the team spirit?

Lahm (laughing): I cannot remember having had such a long vacation as I have had this year. Not being in the national team anymore made the vacation nice and long. Now we are bound for the new season, and you are right a week together strengthens the team spirit.

XINHUA: Meaning you are looking forward very much to see China and its football fans?

Lahm: Oh yes definitely. Thinking about it, you are right, it is a great opportunity to combine work and leisure.

XINHUA: Millions of Chinese are football fans and the country is about to set up a football development program, which means football is a vital part in elementary schools and others. How did your football life start, as we remember your mother had to suffer as you forced her to be your goalkeeper in the drive way?

Lahm (laughing): She did not suffer, well not too much. But times have changed. I was home from school as early around 12:30. I went outside to play football, well after my homework was done. But today kids stay longer in kindergarten or school, meaning they might have less time and a different time management is needed. But not everyone is as keen on football as I was. It is a great sport but there are alternatives like other sports or cultural activities. Football or not was not a question for me of course. But I would have loved to have had football as a subject in school. That would have granted me a good mark by the way. (laughing)

XINHUA: We can start to talk about your current team as we know your mother is well after the intensive training with you. The pre-season period is always a time of uncertainty, players come and go, does that affect team spirit?

Lahm: It is the same every year, in your head you act like everyone will stay, but every time it is different. Until the last day of the transfer period you have to expect someone to leave. You somehow live the moment until someone says good bye.

XINHUA: Now it is Bastian Schweinsteiger who is surprisingly leaving after 17 years as he is obviously joining Manchester United and former Bayern coach Louis van Gaal?

Lahm: We have played together since we were 16-year-olds, and of course I regret him leaving. He is an outstanding player, and no one from outside can get involved in a case like that, meaning it is his decision.

XINHUA: Some said Bayern does not need the abilities of Bastian Schweinsteiger. And some say it would be hard for him to gain a regular place in the team's starting eleven as the midfield seems to be crowded which he might need to keep his role as German captain in the national team, especially when it comes to the 2016 European Championships in France?

Lahm: Regarding the club I think there are no doubts regarding Bastian and his abilities. He is good enough to face any challenge any ware. As for me, I don't share any doubts concerning him.

XINHUA: Angel Di Maria from Manchester United could join Bayern Munich for the next season. What would you think about a transfer like him?

Lahm: It is not up to me to talk about that. There are people in the club that deal with that. He still has a contract and would not be an easy player to sign. There are so many things you have to consider.

XINHUA: Playing against China's champions Evergrande, you will meet former Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari who you beat 7-1 at the 2014 World Cup?

Lahm: I will say hello to him when we meet. I can hardly say, well never mind a 7-1 defeat is not the end of the world when speaking to him. We might be proud about that game in Germany, but a year later we should focus on other things. My club and I are ambitious and it is a dream to win the Champions League again.

XINHUA: But the 7-1 was like a football earthquake for Brazil and the rest of the world, a historical result. Are your feelings and thoughts different today than they were back then?

Lahm: The feeling is still alive, I am talking about the feeling of joy. But in football things pass at a horrifying speed. So after that game there has been a year, a season and we are about to start a new season. We are ambitious as a club and want to win titles. But of course it is a unique thing to win the World Cup, you keep that for the rest of your life. Everybody keeps a title like that in mind so do we.

XINHUA: Is there a moment among all of your World Cup memories that is more special than the others?

Lahm: Oh yes there is. It is the final whistle, that moment, and it went on for the next two hours. In that moment you realize you have won the World Cup, you are the World Champions, you get the medal, the cup. And Federal President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel came to see the team, everyone was celebrating.

XINHUA: Talking about the China tour again: Do you have a list for presents to bring home from China?

Lahm: I will wait for a spot of inspiration that crosses my way when we are in China. And I tell you a secret ...

XINHUA: We're listening.

Lahm: After our last China tour in 2012 we won the treble. So at first this trip can't be an excuse for bad results and it might be a good omen for the upcoming season. Well you can say China is inspiring for all of Bayern Munich.