- Bayern "annoying" before the start of the match - cake for Carro?
Max Eberl grinned mischievously as he joked about Leverkusen while carrying the Olympic cake for new signing Michael Olise on his way out of the press conference room. Or perhaps the cake was indeed for Mr. Carro, the Bayern sports director teased. When the 50-year-old returned later with new coach Vincent Kompany, he avoided reigniting the feud with Bayer boss Fernando Carro. "Of course, one could sit here and start a big argument, but that's not what I'm here for," Eberl said. Carro's statement speaks for itself, Eberl emphasized, adding that he has a different opinion. "I can only say: words are silver, but silence is golden," Eberl said. "It's a shame we have this topic now, just before the season opener."
Coach Kompany, who will lead the Munich team for the first time in a competitive match in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on Friday (8:45 PM/ZDF and Sky), was not bothered by the side noise. On the contrary, he laughed loudly when Eberl was asked about Carro.
Leverkusen's CEO Carro had said at a fan meeting that he has nothing but contempt for Eberl. After a response from Munich's chief Jan-Christian Dreesen, Carro apologized. However, the dispute was unlikely to have been beneficial for the atmosphere in the apparently concluded transfer poker for national player Jonathan Tah this summer.
"The attack theme, I don't see it here in front of the microphone in the press conference, but rather in five or six weeks when we play against Leverkusen," Eberl said, downplaying the situation as a "small nuisance." He did not reveal any new developments in the Tah case. Tah's contract with Leverkusen runs until 2025, so Leverkusen could still receive a transfer fee for the defender. Since Eberl stated that the final squad for the new season is now in place, no new movement is expected in this case.
New Bayern energy
Eberl wants the "Attacke" program to start against Ulm. After five test games in preparation, with four wins and a meager 1:1 against 1. FC Düren, the sports director is looking forward to the real thing. "There's a new impact and a new energy on and off the pitch, and now we're looking forward to showing how good we are in a competitive game," Eberl said.
The intense Kompany style of play promises high entertainment value. A win against Ulm's team, coached by Thomas Wörle, who won the German championship twice with the Bayern women in his nine years, is a must to maintain the good mood.
Kompany keeps the squad secret
"I'm ready. It's important for us to have a competitive game now," Kompany said. The Munich team signed the Belgian at the end of May as the successor to Thomas Tuchel. Bayern had to pay the Premier League relegated FC Burnley around 10 million euros in transfer fees. Kompany has signed a contract until 2027 and is expected to lead the dethroned serial champion back to the top. "We just want to win every game, and then the goals are clear," Eberl said.
It remains to be seen with which personnel Kompany will approach the game. The Belgian did not reveal whether there are any injured stars or if the newly signed Michael Olise is part of the squad. The French Olympic silver medalist was greeted with kind words and a cake with the Olympic rings.
In the context of the season opener, Max Eberl expressed regret that the discussion with Leverkusen's CEO had to occur so close to the start, highlighting it as a "small nuisance."
Eberl has planned for the "Attacke" program, a new energy, to commence against Ulm in the first competitive match of the new season, which is set to be an important test for the team.
