Bayern Munich's players may have needed time but they have eventually come around to the methods and systems of Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, who has a chance to win a second Champions League final on Saturday, this time against Inter Milan.
Fifteen years after guiding Ajax to the European trophy, Bayern Munich overcame a poor start to the season to embrace the ideas of Van Gaal, who has taken the German club to the verge of a historic treble.
"From day one the team tried to understand me and this is what I said in my first press conference that, yes, this is indeed difficult because it's a specific way of training not only body but mind, and that takes time," the Dutchman said on Friday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
"At Ajax it also took six months for the team to understand my philosophy."
Although Van Gaal's system is rooted in a possession game plan based on position and discipline, the Dutchman also encourages his player to improvise with players like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery spearheading a high-speed attack.
Bayern captain Mark Van Bommel said the poor start to the season - the team needed four games to earn its first victory in its worst league start in 43 years - wasn't so terrible.
"We knew from the first day what the trainer wants but the results weren't right. But the idea and the way we play is the same as the start of the season," Van Bommel said. "We just didn't win the games."
Van Gaal's specific way of training did eventually yield results as Bayern won the Bundesliga and German cup and is now positioned for a fifth European Cup.
And, yet Van Gaal still doesn't believe his team has fully embraced his system, calling 2009 champion Barcelona the best team in Europe this season.
"Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona are the better teams of Europe but, nevertheless, we can win the title," Van Gaal said. "We showed our level and we were also a little bit lucky that time when we played against Manchester United, but it was deserved a little bit I believe.
"It's always possible the lower level club wins, that's sport."
Van Gaal's Ajax side won three league titles and the UEFA Cup before its 1995 Champions League win over AC Milan. The 58-year-old then went on to Barcelona, where he won two leagues and a Copa del Rey trophy and worked with Jose Mourinho, who will be in the Inter dugout on Saturday.
Van Gaal caught a glimpse of Mourinho's "special" abilities in his first meeting at the Catalan club, when the Portuguese coach was overly vocal about being left out of some management decisions. Van Gaal said Mourinho was "the best coach of his generation."
"He was so angry and he shouted and I was impressed. Then he was also the special one," Van Gaal said. "I let him coach matches at that time already because I was convinced he does have specific qualities. Little did I know one day he would turn out to be such a great coach."
Despite their intimate knowledge of one another - the two coaches have been exchanging text messages these past few days - Van Gaal did not preview Mourinho's game-plan after defensive minded tactics knocked Barcelona and Chelsea out.
"I can only see what his product is, what we can see," the former Netherlands coach said. "I think Inter Milan is a very difficult opponent and I think Chelsea and Barcelona showed that."
Although proud to be in the final, Van Gaal expected his players to be the difference - and to deliver.
"I don't think coaches decide the game. Players always decide the game," he said. "But a lot of the time details can make the difference. Coaches cannot control those details."
