• Manuel Neuer - 6.0
• Jerome Boateng - 6.0
• Philipp Lahm - 6.5
• Diego Contento - 6.0
• Franck Ribéry - 7.5
• Arjen Robben - 7.5
• Bastian Schweinsteiger - 6.5
• Toni Kroos - 7.5
• Anatoliy Tymoshchuk - 5.5
• Thomas Müller - 8.5 **TOP OF THE MATCH
• Mario Gomez - 5.5
• Rafinha - 6.0
• Holger Badstuber - 6.0
• David Alaba - 6.0

Last game of the Bundesliga 11/12!!

Interview: Holger Badstuber

fcbayern.de: Holger, after playing twice a week for seven weeks, you’ve had two-and-a-half days off. Did you enjoy it?
Holger Badstuber: We’ve all enjoyed catching up on the leisure time we’ve missed in recent weeks. I think it’s done everyone in the team, and also me personally, a lot of good. It’s good to get away a little, recharge the batteries which were pretty much empty, and turn your thoughts to other things. It’s important to do so from time to time.

Which was more important: resting your legs or your brain?
Clearing our heads, I’d say! Your legs will always manage, and I personally have no problem playing through all these matches. But obviously it’s very important to switch off, come down from this permanent state of tension, from the ceaseless concentration, and just rebuild your mental strength. But I’m ready again now and looking forward to our remaining matches.

An eventful period is now behind you, with a cup thriller in Gladbach, the match which effectively decided the title in Dortmund, and the Real double-header. Have you had time to reflect on it all? How would you sum it all up?
Obviously, it’s a mix of positives and negatives, but it all happens so quickly in football. We won in Gladbach and were overjoyed to make the cup final. The trip to Berlin is fantastic for the club as a whole. Then we went to Dortmund on the back of a great run during which we won everything, and we’d closed the gap too. Losing there was devastating. But then we had the highlight tie against Madrid, where you sensed the support of the whole of Germany, not just the Bayern fans. And getting through against such a great team at the Bernabéu was massive. It’s been an exciting time with highs and lows.

What did you make of the reaction to reaching the Champions League final?
It was unbelievable and crazy. We had text after text, people came up to me in the streets and congratulated me. The city is in uproar, because everyone’s looking forward to the final and they’re proud of the club. It’s really impressive and I never thought the reaction would be so extreme.

Even after a normal Champions League match, it’s hard to come down and get some sleep. What was it like after the match in Madrid? Did you get any shuteye?
No, I couldn’t sleep, I was awake until six in the morning. We were late back to the hotel from the stadium, and then we had the banquet. And you’re still buzzing, not just me but all the players. No-one could sleep, so we gathered in the lobby and just sat and talked. It was yet more evidence of our team spirit.

And the action just keeps on coming: how much are you looking forward to the rest of the season?
Totally! We’re definitely taking the last Bundesliga fixture in Cologne very seriously, because it’s good preparation for the cup final. If we play well on Saturday, we’ll be in a positive mood for the remaining games.

In the Bundesliga, you could match the all-time defensive record, and Mario Gomez could end as top scorer. Do you regard these as worthwhile consolation prizes?
The title is gone, but we want to take away whatever positives we can. For me as a defender it would be great to match the defensive record. It’s a way of sending out a signal. And obviously we’ll try and help Mario if we can. He was top of the chart for so long, but now he’s a goal behind going into the last day. We all want him to defend the top scorer trophy. But our priority is winning the match, and we’ll see what else comes out of it.

A week later you have the cup final against Dortmund. You’ve lost to them four times in a row, so there must be a score to settle, mustn’t there?
Naturally, we want to win the cup. First of all, you always want to win a final, and second, we play Dortmund. I think it’s 50-50 on a neutral ground. The stadium will be divided half and half among the fans. We want to set a few things right and win the final.

Finally, there’s the biggest game of them all against Chelsea. What’s your overriding emotion, elation at reaching the final, or dismay that you’re suspended?
First of all, I’m incredibly proud about making the final. It’s really massive, for us as a team, for everyone who works to help the team, and for the whole club. You see it in the staff, how much they wanted us to get there and how much they’re looking forward to the final. That’s the most positive thing for me: we, FC Bayern, made the final when the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona didn’t. We were underdogs against Real but we still made it. Obviously, I personally have mixed feelings, because I’d have loved to play. I saw what a huge event it is two years ago, and it’s all on another level again when you’re at home. I’m frankly gutted about not being able to take my place on the field. But I’ll still invest all my energy in the final, keep giving it my all, and support the team as if I was in it myself.

What kind of game are you expecting against Chelsea? Will they play like they did against Barcelona, or do you think they might open up?
Only time will tell. I’m sure Chelsea will want to keep it tight at the back, because we have a fantastic forward line, but they’ll also want to go on the attack themselves. I don’t think they’ll be as defensive as against Barcelona. I think they’ll contribute to a game of football and try to take the initiative. I think it’ll be a much more open match, although Chelsea are obviously strongest in defence.

Three years ago, you were playing against the likes of Sandhausen, Regensburg and Burghausen, but now you’re a confirmed regular, you made it through to the Champions League final for the second time, and you’re set for your second major international tournament, Euro 2012. Do you sometimes have to pinch yourself when you consider how fast it’s all happened?
Pinch myself? My first year was truly breathtaking, with extraordinary personal experiences both for Bayern and Germany. Going through all that in such a short period of time was definitely overwhelming. However, I joined in at a very, very high level here at Bayern, where the target is always the league and cup. We have the quality to compete in all three competitions every season, so it’s obvious you’ll experience a number of highlights. But I don’t have to pinch myself, because it’s just how I imagined it. That it’s actually happened makes it even better.

What role do friends and family play in your life away from football?
For me personally, it’s important to be in an environment which is harmonious and allows me to concentrate totally on my football. It’s very important and supportive as well, so I can deliver peak performance.

Last season, you were sidelined for a lengthy spell with a pelvic injury and you struggled to recapture your form, but you’ve played nearly every match this season and you’re rated one of the league’s best players. Are you in fact completely free of injury?
Yes, it’s totally healed. It was obvious it would take a while to get fit again after two-and-a-half months on the sidelines. On top of that, we weren’t as successful as we all wanted. A number of factors came together all at once, and it wasn’t easy for me. For all that, I’m glad I went through this period, because I picked up a lot and also got to know the other side of the coin. I’m benefiting from that today because it’s been a very decent season for me so far. I think I’ve taken a big step forward, both as a personality and as a footballer. But I intend to keep it up, because I’m convinced I can still improve. I’m not the finished product yet.