- "Many good things": Kompany's finger point and Eberl's announcements
Before the 13-hour night flight back to Munich, coach Vincent Kompany and Bayern pros Minjae Kim and Thomas Müller had to fulfill final marketing commitments in sweltering Seoul. Meanwhile, in the air-conditioned team hotel by the Han River, sporting director Max Eberl cheerfully assessed the sporting aspect of the 85-hour stay in South Korea as positive and encouraging.
He had "seen many good things," said Eberl of the 2:1 (1:0) friendly win against Tottenham Hotspur, witnessed by 63,496 fans at the World Cup Stadium on Saturday evening. "High energy, high running, high intensity." The new Bayern style.
"The most successful trip ever"
Finance chief Michael Diederich, standing beside Eberl, raved about record sales of jerseys and immense attention in defender Kim's home country. "In terms of merchandising, this was the most successful trip ever," said the 58-year-old: "We always have high expectations, and they were exceeded in this country."
And sports-wise? Despite the win over Tottenham being just a friendly under sauna-like conditions, it was very important for the trip's balance sheet. Kompany needs results on the path of a footballing cultural shift to bring FC Bayern back on track for trophies after a year without titles.
Most noticeable innovation: An aggressive pressing style, bravely man-to-man, to win the ball back. "It was important for us to radiate danger from the moment we got the ball," praised Kompany. Even if only two goals came from talent Gabriel Vidovic and substitute Leon Goretzka. Pedro Porro reduced for the Spurs with a powerful long-range shot.
"The most important thing was: The entire squad was ready to suffer under the difficult conditions," summarized Kompany. He didn't say anything concrete about individual players and their roles. But he gave first hints with the positioning of Joshua Kimmich in midfield and Goretzka's more offensive midfield role.
New signing João Palhinha made a 45-minute debut as a defensive midfielder. "João is a pro," judged Eberl on the Portuguese, who joined from Fulham for 50 million euros. "He will help us a lot."
Active, aggressive, intense - Kompany's approach is resonating with the team, even with the long-serving leaders. "If you consider that we could already play a first half like that after a few days of training, that makes you happy," said Thomas Müller. He's "a fan of pressing" and had a "smile on his face" as the popular local Bayern legend left the stadium.
"It's also fun for the team to see that this work is paying off," said captain Manuel Neuer about the energetic ball-chasing on the pitch. "After such a short time, you could already see a certain style, a way we want to play," said Kimmich.
The 29-year-old hinted that he sees his future in Munich beyond his contract expiry in 2025. Eberl reported a "very open" first conversation with Kimmich the next day: "That Joshua should play an important role for us, that's clear."
De Ligt and Mazraoui are part of the sales package
Eberl continues to work on the squad. The sales process remains challenging. When board colleague Diederich presented the impressive jersey sales figures, he joked, "With these jersey sales, I have to ask if I even need to sell them." Indeed, he does. Defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui could move to Manchester United as a package if the millions are right. The transfer market is "very tough." Buyers want to pay as little as possible, while sellers want to make as much as possible.
Spanish midfielder Bryan Zaragoza (22) is reportedly set to be loaned out after just half a year in Munich due to strong competition in the attack. Latecomers Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies will join the team last after an extended vacation. Leroy Sané's return from his groin operation won't make it in time for the season start.
Kompany can now work on his dream team, one that plays "exciting football," as Eberl put it. "We want a team that gives its all on the pitch."
I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the sales process for de Ligt and Mazraoui is challenging.
After the intense training sessions, I'm not going to lie, I'm seeing a lot of potential in Joshua Kimmich's future role in the team.
