The treble is the goal every season. That alone should indicate that Bayern Munich are a club always pushing the limits of what a football club can achieve. However, to continue pushing to new heights, competition is vital. This immediately presents a problem for Bayern. While Die Rekordmeister face stiff competition in the Champions League, the same can’t be said about the Bundesliga considering Bayern has won it 13 times in the last 14 years.
Since Bayern can’t reliably rely on fierce competition
within their own league, Vincent Kompany believes it is paramount that the German giants rely on competition for places within the squad to produce “extra focus.”
“It’s important that we have as many fit players as possible – hats off to our medical and performance departments,” explained the 40-year-old manager (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “It’s a collaborative process. I’ve always preferred having too many players available to having fewer players. Even when I was a player, there were always two competing for each position. When there’s a lot of competition, you always have to perform at a high level, it keeps you on your toes. If you then work together and constantly improve, things can become very interesting. We expect a lot from the guys, and this extra focus helps with that.”
Kompany is right. Once a spot is guaranteed, complacency creeps in unless guarded against. Competition for playing time within the squad is a fantastic way to keep everyone sharp.
The only potential issue? Bayern still have some positions where competition is absent due to a lack of cover. For example, Luis Díaz and Harry Kane have no natural backups, so competition for the duo is practically non-existent—a point Kompany will be pushing to the higher-ups heading into the next transfer window.
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