Julian Nagelsmann is excited by the opportunity to face Manchester City and Erling Haaland in the Champions League, believing the Norwegian striker could be an even tougher opponent than Kylian Mbappe.
Bayern Munich eliminated Mbappe and Lionel Messi from the tournament when they beat Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, and were drawn to face City in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Should they progress again, Bayern will then go up against holders Real Madrid or Chelsea in the semi-finals, having already faced Inter, Barcelona and PSG in this season's Champions League.
"I think it's a very good draw, a difficult draw but I think if you win the title at the end then you would not like to hear that we were lucky with our draws," Nagelsmann said at a press conference ahead of Bayern's Bundesliga clash with Bayer Leverkusen.
"We want to win it and do it by beating big teams. We've had PSG, we had Inter and Barcelona in the group stage, so now City and then Real Madrid or Chelsea, then probably an Italian opponent in the final, it would be a triumph that would certainly send a big message to everyone.
"It's going to be difficult, we know that... we will prepare well and I think everyone is looking forward to it."
Bayern will need to handle former Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland better than RB Leipzig, who conceded five to him in the last-16 second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
"He's a tremendous player, he has great abilities... he's probably a little more physical than Mbappe and certainly comparable in pace," Nagelsmann said. "He has great heart, when he runs it's difficult to defend against him, but we also have a couple of strong offensive players."
The 35-year-old is also an admirer of City boss and former Bayern head coach Pep Guardiola, but said he does not model his ideas on the Spaniard, or indeed, any other coach.
"I saw a lot of games when he was at Barcelona, also at Bayern and City," Nagelsmann said. "I never really copied any things from him, I've never really analysed or copied anything from any other coach.
"Pep's teams are always nice to watch, he always has a nice idea to play football. [City] have a very balanced team."
Rumour Has It: Tottenham line up surprise move for Frankfurt boss Glasner
Tottenham and Antonio Conte appears set to part ways imminently following the Italian's explosive rant after their 3-3 draw with Southampton on Saturday.
Conte's Spurs contract is due to expire at the end of this season and he has been linked with a return to Italy to be closer to his family.
Spurs have been eliminated from the Champions League and FA Cup but remain firmly in the race to finish in the Premier League's top four, currently sitting fourth but fifth-placed Newcastle United are two points behind with two games in hand.
TOP STORY – SPURS TURN TO EINTRACHT BOSS IN SHOCK MOVE
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is looking to Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner as a potential replacement for Antonio Conte, according to Bild.
The report claims Spurs have already made contact with the Austrian's representatives about the surprise move.
Glasner is yet to sign an extension on his deal from Frankfurt which expires in 2024. Tottenham have Glasner in their sights, having led the Germans to the Europa League title last season.
ROUND-UP
– Manchester United and Newcastle United will battle it out to land the signature of Roma forward Paulo Dybala, reports Calciomercatoweb. The Argentinian is set to be available for a bargain price, given he has a release clause for overseas clubs to sign him for just £10.6million (€12m).
– Relevo claims Chelsea are working behind the scenes to make Joao Felix's loan stay at Stamford Bridge permanent beyond this season. The Portuguese joined the Blues in January on a six-month loan from Atletico Madrid, for whom he penned an extension until 2027 on the eve of that move.
– The Times claims Tottenham will demand £100m upfront for captain and star striker Harry Kane, who is out of contract in 2024. Manchester United have been linked with Kane, while Bayern Munich previously showed an interest, although that has reportedly waned.
– Juventus' pursuit of Chelsea's midfielder N'Golo Kante has been dealt a blow, with the Frenchman unlikely to leave Stamford Bridge, reports Tuttomercatoweb.
– Football Transfers claims Arsenal will look to tie down Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard on a long-term deal until 2030. His deal expires in 2025.
– Arsenal are interested in Salzburg's 22-year-old forward Noah Okafor, claims The Daily Mail. Tottenham and Milan are also keen on the Swiss talent.
Bailey, Nicholson headline 23-man Reggae Boyz squad for Mexico CONCACAF Nations League clash
Aston Villa forward Leon Bailey and Spartak Moscow striker Shamar Nicholson headline a 23-man squad named by the Jamaica Football Federation on Monday for the CONCACAF Nations League fixture between the Reggae Boyz and Mexico at the Azteca on March 26.
Bailey and Nicholson are two of a number of players who were not apart of the squad for the two friendlies against the Soca Warriors in Jamaica last week.
Defenders Damion Lowe, Amari’i Bell and Kemar Lawrence are also among those who have returned to the squad while regular skipper Andre Blake remains absent through injury.
The match will commence at 7:00pm JA time (8:00pm ET).
The full squad is as follows: Goalkeepers: Jahmali Waite (Pittsburgh Riverhounds), Coniah Boyce-Clarke (Reading), Amal Knight (Lexington), Defenders: Amari’i Bell (Luton Town), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford), Dexter Lembikisa (Wolves), Adrian Mariappa (Unattached), Damion Lowe (Philadelphia Union), Richard King (Cavalier), Javain Brown (Vancouver Whitecaps), Kemar Lawrence (Minnesota United), Midfielders: Jonathan Russell (Barnsley), Bobby Reid (Fulham), Demario Phillips (Mt. Pleasant), Kevon Lambert (Phoenix Rising), Daniel Johnson (Preston North End), Ravel Morrison (DC United), Kaheem Parris (Dynamo Kyiv), Forwards: Jamal Lowe (Bournemouth), Cory Burke (NY Red Bulls), Trivante Stewart (Mt. Pleasant), Shamar Nicholson (Spartak Moscow), Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)
Deschamps: Mbappe has communication skills to excel as France captain
Kylian Mbappe has the communication qualities to be France captain, but Didier Deschamps will not take his recent appearance as Paris Saint-Germain skipper into account when deciding who will succeed Hugo Lloris.
Lloris' retirement from international football has left Les Bleus in need of a new captain, with Mbappe receiving the backing of the goalkeeper.
Speaking to Telefoot last week, Lloris said: "There is one player that is becoming more powerful in every aspect on and off the pitch and even in the functioning of the dressing room – it's Kylian Mbappe."
France face Netherlands in qualifying for Euro 2024 on Friday, and Deschamps faced repeated questions about the identity of the new captain in his press conference on Monday.
"I'm going to use these first few days with the group to discuss it with the players concerned," said Deschamps, having offered a similar reply last week.
"Obviously, Kylian is one of those players. So, you'll know a bit more the next time I see you. In other words, the day before the game, on Thursday.
"I think if he [Mbappe] has one quality, in addition to all his other qualities, it's that he's someone who is pretty good, very good at communication. So, I don't think that's a problem on that side. But, well, I can't tell you any more because I haven't decided today."
Mbappe was PSG captain on Sunday as they suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat at home to Rennes.
Deschamps added: "I have a habit, and it is not now that I will change, for each player when they are in their club, I do not have the ins and outs.
"Of course, I watch the games. But Kylian's situation or any player's situation at club level is not the same as the one he has here with the national team, so it will not be a way for me to choose.
"It involves more thorough discussions. There are different forms of captaincy. It's a responsibility, he's put forward. There are different forms or rather possibilities, with some players more or less expressive.
"I'm not going to look at the details because you also have to take into account the situation in which the club may find itself. These are elements that I don't have. It's not my daily routine.
"So, that's the responsibility of Christophe Galtier, his staff and his club. That's not part of my thinking."
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