FC Bayern cruised towards their 35th championship title with apparent ease. According to Uli Hoeneß, this success is directly linked to coach Vincent Kompany.
Honorary President Uli Hoeneß has stated that Coach Vincent Kompany has achieved something unprecedented at FC Bayern, highlighting the extraordinary level of cohesion within the team that he has never witnessed before at the German record champions.
«The team has never been as united in the history of FC Bayern as it is now,» Hoeneß remarked when asked by Bild what particularly impressed him about this championship title. «There are no cliques whatsoever within this team. This includes not only the players but also the entire coaching staff, the masseurs, and also Max Eberl and Christoph Freund.»
For Hoeneß, the architect of this unity is none other than coach Kompany, whose recruitment, despite his relegation with Burnley less than two years ago, was met with considerable skepticism. As Hoeneß pointed out, «When we signed Vincent, everyone thought: How can someone coming from a relegated English club lead Bayern? Many didn’t believe he could do it,» Hoeneß recalled.
Hoeneß: Vincent Kompany is a Role Model for All of Germany
Hoeneß himself was completely convinced after just «half an hour» of his meeting with Kompany, his father, and key Bayern decision-makers. He recalled grabbing Sports Director Eberl «under the table by the knee and giving him a thumbs up. That’s when I knew and felt that it would go well and that Vincent was the right man for us.»
Now, Hoeneß believes that all of Germany could learn from Kompany’s philosophy. «That Vincent has placed the word ‘work’ at the center of his analysis. I really liked that, and it could also be a good example and role model for our country. Some people believe that everything can be achieved with less work – but that is completely wrong. Vincent is here every morning at 7:30 AM and one of the last to leave in the evening,» said Hoeneß.
Kompany «never started complaining when a player was injured,» added the 74-year-old. In contrast, according to the honorary president, the situation was different with Kompany’s predecessor, Thomas Tuchel, whom Hoeneß had criticized just a few days prior on a joint podcast with Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder. Unlike Tuchel, Kompany «has made every single player better. Even Harry Kane, and that is the real art.»
Kompany is a «Lottery Win» for FC Bayern
Hoeneß’s sentiments echoed the praise from other Bayern leadership figures for the Belgian. After the championship title was secured in the 4-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart, President Herbert Hainer described Kompany as a «lottery win.»
The championship triumph against VfB further underscored the excellent work Kompany is doing in Munich. This was achieved with a nominal B-team (eight starting lineup changes compared to the victory against Real Madrid on Wednesday) and without significant threat against the third-placed team. The success of such radical rotations also speaks to Kompany’s squad management; under his leadership, every player feels important.
And the focus remains sharp: While there was some celebration after winning the championship title, there was no mention of beer showers. After all, two more titles are to be celebrated this season. In the Champions League semi-finals, Munich will face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain. In the DFB-Pokal semi-finals on Wednesday, the hurdle in Leverkusen must be overcome.
It fit the narrative perfectly that Harry Kane assured everyone that Kompany would be watching «Leverkusen clips» on the evening of the championship title win.