Ballon D'Or winner Harry Kane heads back to Munich for 'special welcome' as Bayern history-maker

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — After an historic Ballon D'Or win and an emotional speech, Harry Kane is heading back to Germany for a “special welcome” at Bayern Munich and a slightly less glamorous cup game.

Kane's the first English winner of the prize in 25 years and it ends some even longer streaks in Germany. Bayern is celebrating its first Ballon D'Or winner in 45 years and it's also the first for any player at a German club since 1996.

“We’re all delighted with Harry Kane’s performance. It’s not just his goals that make him an exceptional footballer, and it’s not just on the pitch that he’s a special character," sporting director Christoph Freund said.

"Harry is a great guy, you very rarely come across someone like him, world-class yet so down-to-earth. Harry has taken the center-forward role to a whole new level — he’s an inspiration, especially for young players. He’s undoubtedly one of the greatest in football history.”

Kane was on his way from London back to Munich for training Tuesday, assistant coach Aaron Danks said.

Bayern has teased a “special welcome” for Kane ahead of Wednesday's German Cup second-round game against second-division Magdeburg. Danks said the England captain would be available to play Wednesday as the club continues its defense of a trophy decided last season by his hat trick in the final .

Bayern has also promised there'll be recognition of his achievement when it faces arch-rival Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga “Klassiker” on Saturday.

Kane is Bayern's fourth Ballon D'Or winner after German greats Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who was the last winner in 1981. Robert Lewandowski was the runaway favorite for the prize in 2020, when a decision was taken not to award the trophy because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The win comes at an otherwise somber time at the club, with head coach Vincent Kompany undergoing medical treatment after his sudden collapse at training last week, and midfielder Joshua Kimmich on leave after a death in the family.

“You see the extremes that life has to offer," Danks said. "The immense joy Harry experienced yesterday and the moments we’ve had over the past few weeks. It’s important to realize that people are what matter most."

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