Lothar Matthäus believes FC Bayern are now in a much better position in terms of personnel than at the start of the season – and contradicts an earlier assessment by Harry Kane
According to the record international, the Bayern striker’s concern at the time that the squad was too small was a mistake
On the sidelines of the Legends Cup 2026, Matthäus reassessed the situation, pointing in particular to the return of Jamal Musiala. „The squad will be even better in terms of width (thanks to Musiala’s comeback; editor’s note). Harry Kane didn’t have a complete overview, but he didn’t know the players from the campus either. He said the squad was too small. In my opinion, the squad was right from the start,“ Matthäus explained clearly
The 64-year-old is thus clearly contradicting the statements made publicly by Kane last summer, when the England international expressed doubts about the size of the squad in mid-August after winning the Super Cup against VfB Stuttgart, causing a stir
Kane addressed small Bayern squad
„It’s one of the smallest squads I’ve ever played in. We’re a bit thin if we’re honest – but from our point of view, we, the players, can’t influence that,“ Kane said at the time. His words were understood as an indirect appeal to the sporting management to become active on the transfer market once again
At the time, Kane’s concerns were at least understandable. Kingsley Coman had left the club shortly before and moved to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Jamal Musiala was not available after breaking his fibula at the Club World Cup, several young players from the campus were not yet considered real alternatives for the first team. Lennart Karl was also not yet playing a role at the top level at the time
Kane even publicly increased the pressure on those responsible at the time. „It’s up to Max (Eberl – sporting director; editor’s note), Christoph (Freund; editor’s note) and the coach (Vincent Kompany; editor’s note) to make these kinds of decisions,“ said the attacker with a view to possible further transfers
Talent boom and Musiala’s return to FCB
From today’s perspective, however, Matthäus sees the situation differently. The development of several young players and Musiala’s return had shown that the squad had been adequately planned from the outset. The players from the campus in particular had developed faster under Vincent Kompany than many had expected
The former Bayern captain also sees this as a testament to the work of the coach and the sporting management. Instead of frantically adding to the transfer market, they relied on internal solutions – with success. In his view, the current breadth of personnel is no coincidence, but the result of a clear strategy
For Matthäus, one thing is clear: Kane’s assessment at the time was understandable, but in retrospect it was not correct. With the current squad structure, he believes FC Bayern is better equipped than ever for the tasks ahead.