Football: German fans doubt Guardiola can repeat Heynckes' Treble success

BERLIN (AFP) - German football fans are doubtful that newly appointed Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola can repeat the historic treble achieved by his predecessor Jupp Heynckes, according to a survey published on Thursday.

Some 44 per cent of fans did not believe the former Barcelona coach would win the Bundesliga crown, Champions League and German Cup that Heynckes pulled off in his final season at the Allianz Arena, the survey by German sports news agency SID, an AFP subsidiary, suggested.

In comparison, 24 per cent of fans said they were convinced the 42-year-old was perfectly capable of achieving what would be an unprecedented back-to-back Treble in his first season in German football.

The number of people surveyed was not given.

Bayern cantered to the German title this season, before edging out domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Champions League final and then lifting the German Cup with a 3-2 win over Stuttgart.

On Heynckes, who is out of contract, 38 per cent of respondents predicted a return to coaching while 30 per cent felt he will move into retirement and leave the game at the top.

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