Bayern Munich is in the midst of a tense stand-off with star player Leon Goretzka. The 29-year-old veteran and German international, who was recently snubbed for Germany’s home-turf EUROs this past summer, wants to stay — but the cost-conscious front office appears to want him to move on.
It is the kind of situation a club usually wins in the end, but it can get uncomfortable in the meantime.
But Bayern’s Champions League opener on Tuesday was a chance to defuse some of that tension. The Bavarians stormed away with a 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb, and Goretzka — brought on as a late sub by coach Vincent Kompany — scored a powerful, decisive header to put the exclamation point on the win.
Kompany faced questions about Goretzka’s status after the game, including the suggestion that the veteran midfielder is among the “losers” of his early Bayern tenure — a notion the Bayern boss refuted.
“When the team wins, there’s no loser,” Kompany said in comments captured via @iMiaSanMia. “All players want to play, there’s competition — but I can only line up with 11 players. I really don’t want to talk about individual players. I want to talk about the team. I’m there for the players, not against any particular player.”
Need to hear more about Bayern’s historic win? Well, you can listen to Cyler break down the game from a tactical perspective on the Bavarian Podcast Works Postgame Show. Listen to it below or on Patreon (ad free) or Spotify.
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