Former soccer world champion Pierre Littbarski expects an exciting championship fight in the Bundesliga – and sees good chances for current league leaders Bayer Leverkusen. “Hats off to them, they’re having a fantastic season. Bayern have to warm up,” the 63-year-old told the SID at a Suzuki PR meeting in Bensheim.
“They have improved tremendously with players who fit into this system. The coach has a clear handwriting and the team looks very solid,” said Littbarski, who expects “excitement until the end”: “Borussia Dortmund, Leverkusen and RB Leipzig will be the Bayern hunters.”
Things are less good for Littbarski’s heart club 1. FC Köln, which is in last place in the table with just one point from the first seven games. “FC is in an extremely difficult situation,” said the club icon: “Many say the team is not good enough. I think they have the quality. But they lack self-confidence, they need a sense of success.”
The next chance for coach Steffen Baumgart’s team comes after the international break in the Rhine derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach. “Hopefully they can get a three-pointer in the derby against Gladbach and then everyone will be as dynamic and positive as the coach,” said Littbarski, who played 406 Bundesliga games for Cologne in his career.