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Philipp Lahm has told Die Welt he has no regrets about criticising Bayern Munich over the club's transfer policy in 2009 and backing then coach Louis van Gaal. Having reportedly rejected offers to join both Barcelona and Manchester United, Lahm hit out at Bayern's transfer policy in November that year. The defender said then: "Other clubs have a system, a philosophy, and buy the players accordingly. We don't. It's not enough to buy good players -- one has to develop a team." Lahm, Bayern's captain, was fined €50,000 -- which some reports claim remains a club record -- but asked about the incident now, said: "I have no regrets." He joked: "Fines at Bayern are higher [than elsewhere]. I don't know if anyone has topped that. I doubt it." Lahm -- who retires from playing at the end of the season -- said he had decided it was "not the right time" to consider becoming Bayern's sporting director, a post that has not been filled since the departure of Matthias Sammer due to ill health last summer. "The fact that [CEO] Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and [president] Uli Hoeness considered me at all as successor to Matthias Sammer was a display of trust," he added. "We spoke and had differing ideas on how the position should be carried out. Then I decided OK, it's not the right time for me." He said he felt Bayern were in "good shape" to win the Treble in what will be his final season. "Almost all our players are healthy, our team is very experienced and we have a very savvy coach who exudes calmness," he said. "We can up our performance levels for key games. I'm confident." Commenting on his friend and former teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger's recent transfer from Manchester United to MLS club Chicago Fire, he said: "I was pleased that he moved to Chicago. "He deserved a nice farewell because he has achieved so much. It was always a pleasure to play with him. "I congratulated him on his move and he wished me all the best for my retirement. He recommended that I come and visit him. "I will fly to Chicago in due course -- soon I'll have a little more time."
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