Bayern Munich have had a strong start to the 2024/25. Vincent Kompany’s side have adopted a high intensity, high-pressing style of football that, as of writing, no team has been able to conquer.
Kompany’s flying start comes as a stark contrast to the end of Thomas Tuchel’s tenure at Bayern Munich, which was disappointing to say the least.
Naturally, the juxtaposition between the two coaches was always going to draw some attention from the media, however, when asked to compare his side with Thomas Tuchel’s, Kompany refused (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
“We don’t have to compare anything that was under past coaches and what’s now. That’s not in my thoughts for a second. It’s all about the team now and how I think I can reach the boys. And it’s not a second about the past. We’ve all made mistakes, everyone in this room. That’s life. Now we have a chance to all achieve something new together. It’s a new season – that’s what it’s all about,” said Kompany.
To echo Kompany’s words, for the first time in a long time the new season feels like a fresh start. The Belgian coach’s strong philosophy on leaving the past behind and focusing on the present has to be admired for that.
Kompany went on to share a brief explanation on his coaching philosophy and benchmark for success.
“I don’t have to prove anything as a coach. I think it’s important to keep things separate. Every challenge you take on has a different context. The most important thing for a coach is to say: Have I really done everything I can to get the best out of the team? When you come home every night, you might say I’m tired, but if I’ve done everything I can to make the team better, I’m happy. I have a new club, a new team, a new task. You have to leave the past behind you. It’s not about me now, it’s about the players and the club,” stated Kompany.
It would be difficult to argue that what Kompany is doing at Bayern is not working. The coach has taken the emphasis off of himself and put the full focus on the players and club, something Thomas Tuchel could seemingly never accomplish.
Some may argue that the past is pivotal for learning what mistakes not to make, Kompany would have surely had enough time to do this before taking over at Bayern. It is therefore important to learn from the mistakes of the past but equally as important to focus on the present moment in order to craft a strong future.
At the moment, Kompany is finding the perfect balance at Bayern Munich and one cannot help but be optimistic for the future.
