João Palhinha is loving life in Bavaria.
The 29-year-old Portuguese international has made the leap from a mid-table Premier League side in Fulham to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. It is a step up in competition and expectations, and Palhinha, a defensive midfielder, is happy to have a coach with the knowledge and experience of Vincent Kompany to work with.
“He really understands football,” Palhinha said of the former Manchester City defender and current Bayern coach in a recent interview for Bundesliga.com, as captured by @iMiaSanMia. “He wants us to play his way and we’re learning a lot from him. He’s a top coach, and I’m proud to be playing for him. He will improve me as a player, and I’ll give everything to help him and the team be successful.”
Kompany enjoyed an 11-year run at City as a center-back, winning four Premier League trophies in the process. Now he is tasked with finding a way to get Bayern back on top in the Bundesliga — and in Palhinha, he has the exact right profile of player to sit in front of his defensive line.
