German outlet Bild have reacted (to our minds) wonderfully to Bastian Schweinsteiger’s move to Manchester United.
If you’ve been reading RetroUnited.com over the last few weeks you’ll know that we’re huge fans of Louis van Gaal’s ambitious transfer policy and the coup of Schweinsteiger – the captain of the World Champions – was one of the biggest statements he could make at a time when he was attempting to elevate the profile of Manchester United. Whether or not it began as an aggressive stand against Real Madrid, the results have been outstanding.
Schweinsteiger, was, in so many ways, the best player Van Gaal could have signed. A world class industrious midfielder with tons of experience and a top class pedigree, it is also how the move is being perceived – Schweinsteiger, the not-so-closet boyhood United fan, speaking of it being a dream come true to sign for United.
Former Red Markus Neumayr told us recently that Schweinsteiger is ‘immortal’ in the German game and that is reflected in the amount of national coverage dedicated to the move after it has happened. Bild are covering it in such intricate detail that they provided one of the best stories so far – when Schweinsteiger lived in an apartment in Munich, his doorbell name tag bore the surname ‘Cantona’ – an obvious reference to his fondness for Manchester United legend Eric Cantona.
Perhaps unwittingly all this is making a subtle change in the perception – that United are perceived as a step up from Bayern Munich, one of the eminent clubs in recent years.
Bild have many great stories about Schweinsteiger (their line on United building a ‘double six’ midfield is interesting) but this one is by far our favourite so far.
Schweinsteiger was officially announced yesterday for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £10m, and will make his friendly debut for the club on Friday (Saturday morning UK time).
