Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany always shows a lot of respect for his opponents, but when he looks at SC Freiburg, there is a clear admiration for what the team has done.
“Freiburg is one of the
best examples to show in football. I’m a big fan of consistency in football. They have a coach who used to play there. They’ve never really changed their style, only ever making small adjustments. If you look at their scouting, they know exactly which players fit their style of play. Games against them are never easy; they can compete with any team. Many compliments to the club and the organization. I’m really looking forward to the game,” Kompany said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “We’ve already drawn against Union this season. We didn’t win the last game, we haven’t forgotten that, it’s not a perfect season. You always have to be strong at the end of the season – what you do at the beginning is a bonus. We want to be even stronger at the end. If our performances are good now, this task won’t be easy, but we want to be even stronger at the end of the season than we are now.”
Kompany understands that he faces some challenges with this match, particularly when it comes to managing the injury and fatigue situation on his own squad. SC Freiburg did not have nearly the same amount of international call-ups during the break as Bayern Munich.
“It could be an advantage. But the truth is, we have a bigger budget than Freiburg. We have players with more experience. I don’t want to use that as an excuse. There was no disappointment in our team; all the boys qualified for the World Cup and are coming back with positive feelings. Of course, I would have preferred to have the players with me all week, but we are used to that,” Kompany said.
One area of the team that Kompany feels like he can rely upon during times like this us his coaching staff.
“Stability plays a huge role. Bram Geers was with us and is now gone – it can always happen that someone continues their career elsewhere. Overall, I’m always a fan of calm and consistency. Rodyse is my friend but is also very important for my work. He deserves to be here; he’s always there. He stays at Säbener Straße until very late. If anyone’s going to turn off the lights when we leave, it’ll be him. Why did he wear the Lederhosen in Kinshasa? I don’t know either,” Kompany said with a laugh. “A little bit of FC Bayern in Kinshasa is not a bad thing. There was Oktoberfest in Kinshasa.”
