Bayern will play against Belgian club Club Brugge in the Champions League tonight. Bayern veteran and former Belgium international Van Buyten accepted an interview on the club's official website before the game. In it, he talked about his new life, Bayern coach Kompany, Belgian football and his years at Bayern.

Van Buyten was interviewed by Bayern's official website at an equestrian training ground near Charleroi, Belgium, where he watched his 15-year-old daughter Lou-Ann perform dressage training. Van Buyten said frankly: "I not only respect her performance very much, but also stand in awe of these huge horses."

During the interview, Van Buyten's phone vibrated frequently, and he could not ignore it, because there may be new opportunities and challenges hidden behind each message. Van Buyten knows very well: "Life after retirement is completely different. I was and still am a person who always goes all out."

Van Buyten played for Bayern for 8 years and won many championships with the team. Today, he still plays with the Legends team from time to time. After retiring, it took him some time to find his niche: he has now founded a real estate agency, invested in several construction projects, and is currently investing in the construction of a large sports center including paddle tennis, golf and tennis. Additionally, his career as an agent will come alive during the transfer period.

Van Buyten summed up his driving force in one sentence: "I am a winner. When I do something, I do it seriously and hope to complete it successfully." When his home was still quiet at five o'clock in the morning, he was already sitting in the office, thinking clearly and starting his workday. In the evening, he returned to his daily routine: "Every night my family gets together, we eat and communicate together. This is very important to me."

Van Buyten still maintains his exercise habits, playing paddle tennis, running, and preparing for the Legends team's games. He also paid attention to the game of his old club. He described the current team as "incredibly strong" and added: "This Bayern lineup belongs to the top three in the world."

At the same time, he also hopes that there will be more competition in the Bundesliga again, just like the current situation in Belgium: "Back then we had evenly matched opponents like Dortmund. Now I feel that Bayern's next league championship is almost impossible to take away."

Fan Bitten also pays close attention to football in his native Belgium: "Belgian football has made significant improvements in the past few years. Clubs have understood how to maximize their potential under limited budgets."

Belgium has now become a cradle of talents, and Brugge sold Maxime de Cuipe (24 years old/joined Brighton) and Chemstin Talbi (20 years old/joined Sunderland) to England for about 20 million euros each this summer. Why Belgium can cultivate so many talents, Van Buyten explained: "All kinds of influences have been absorbed. Diet, physical training, parents have been fully involved and supported from the beginning. The whole awareness has been raised, and now it is reaping the fruits."

Van Buyten said: "The structure of Bruges is the result of years of accumulation, and the lineup is in a stable club. You can see it on the field. Bruges has excellent defensive organization and quick forward transition. However, Van Buyten still maintains a realistic attitude: "Bruge may be able to resist Bayern for 30 minutes, or even the entire first half, but after that, I think they have little chance of success in the Champions League. The ruler on which the day is located. "

Bayern coach Kompany was Van Buyten's teammate in the Belgian national team. He saw a real leader in his former defense partner: "He brought extremely high losses, has a strong character, and does a very good job. At Bayern, Kompany has the best conditions. I have no doubt that he will continue to be successful. "

His evaluation of Kompany sounds like a reflection of his own time in Munich: Van Buyten was the integrator, bridge builder, and loyal team player in the team; he has a great relationship with Ribery, who will always be his "brother"; he not only helps the team on the court, but also supports others off the court, which is a matter of course for him.

The then Bayern executives Hoeness and Rummenigge also realized this early. Van Buyten said: "They said to me: 'We have seen this, and we hope you know that the club will not forget everything you have done.' At that moment I knew: Bayern is more than just a club."

Over the years, he has been unyielding about his demands. Change: "In eight years, I've probably only been late for training twice twice. I gave it my all like crazy, even if I wasn't in the starting lineup sometimes. The guy in front of me could never relax."

Today Van Buyten still maintains the same ambition that drives him to pursue his own projects: "If you're a winner, it's hard to say no."