The competition at Bayern Munich is fierce, especially in central midfield. Among the victims so far are João Palhinha and Konrad Laimer, who have now spoken out about their roles under Kompany.
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- FC Bayern Munich have made a good start to the new season and lead the Bundesliga after six matchdays.
- However, not all Bayern stars can be happy with the current situation. Palhinha, for example, who was signed for a lot of money in the summer, often languishes on the bench.
- However, the Portuguese does not want to hang his head and continues to work hard: "I'm ready. Whether I play 90, 45 or just five minutes: I will fight for every moment."
At FC Bayern, Vincent Kompany has been given what his predecessor Thomas Tuchel longed for in vain during his short time as Munich coach: the "holding six". The lack of a robust defensive midfielder was a constant theme in Tuchel's last title-less season.
After a year's delay, Tuchel's dream player João Palhinha joined the record champions after all. "When you've been dredging up a player for so long to get him to Munich, you definitely have to call it a dream transfer," said sporting director Max Eberl at the presentation of the €50 million professional from Fulham FC. The European Championship participant from Portugal is a "great player". The 29-year-old Palhinha is said to be exactly the "important piece of the puzzle" in the Munich squad that has been missing so far.
However, the Portuguese's importance has so far been limited. Expressed in figures: the 32-time international has played 154 out of a possible 810 minutes for Bayern.
It's not about how it starts ...
The benchwarmer now spoke to "Sport Bild" about his difficult situation: "I know that my time at FC Bayern will come. I'm working hard for it every day: I'm fighting to get my chance."
He is at this big club because he believes in himself. "In my career, people have often said things like this: Will he make it? Will he get playing time? We're only at the beginning."
For him, a Portuguese proverb applies: "It's not about how it starts - it's about how it ends. I'm just concentrating on my work, on the training sessions. I am ready. Whether I play 90, 45 or just five minutes: I will fight for every moment."
Nevertheless, he has nothing but praise for his boss Vincent Kompany: "He is a coach of the new generation. What distinguishes his work: He has a good relationship with each and every one of us. That's important for the team spirit, nobody feels left alone. The coach always has an open ear for us and is close to us. It's important to feel that, so you can understand his ideas more quickly. I'm very happy with Vinny."
Laimer: "It's not a concert of wishes"
Konrad Laimer is also currently losing out in the scramble for a permanent place in Bayern's center. The Austrian featured regularly under Tuchel last season and was valued as an aggressive leader, but the 27-year-old has only played one league game from the start this season.
"In the end it's always, as they like to say, a shark tank, you have to assert yourself," said Laimer in a press conference for the Austrian national team (via Krone).
"It's not a dream come true whether you play there or not. It's clear that there's a lot of competition, a lot of good players." Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović are currently set to play, while 57-time international Leon Goretzka has received just one minute of playing time in the Bundesliga and is sidelined.
But the season is long, explained Laimer, who was brought in on a free transfer from Leipzig in the summer of 2023. "I want to get stuck in and I know that I have what it takes."
