FC Bayern are on the brink of their 35th German championship – but Vincent Kompany is not interested in that. Ahead of the Bundesliga clash against VfB Stuttgart, the Bayern coach is focusing exclusively on the sporting challenge
After the emotional 4:3 victory against Real Madrid in the Champions League, it’s straight back to the daily grind for Munich – and it’s a tough one. VfB Stuttgart await on Sunday, an opponent that Kompany is anything but underestimating
„The championship only plays a role at the end of the season. We only celebrate at the end!“, the Belgian made clear at the press conference. For him, the only thing that matters at the moment is the next task – and it’s a tough one. „We’re playing one of the most difficult opponents,“ explained Kompany, referring to the most recent duels with the Swabians, all of which were close
The 40-year-old particularly emphasized the physical component: „I expect this physicality in the game. Stuttgart is not only very strong in terms of play, but also physically.“
But intensity is not the only thing the opponent has to offer. VfB are also one of the most dangerous teams in the league in attack. „They have the second-best offense,“ warned Kompany – and emphasized that Stuttgart can also create danger at any time with long balls
Focus instead of celebration
Despite the possibility of clinching the championship this weekend, nobody at FC Bayern wants to celebrate prematurely. „The players have already said that the focus will be on Leverkusen straight after the game, no matter what happens,“ revealed Kompany
The coach is making it clear that even if they are successful, there will be no big celebrations – at least not immediately. Instead, the focus will be on the next highlight, the cup clash against Bayer Leverkusen
„We can all live with the fact that we’ll wait to celebrate,“ said Kompany
Week of truth
The starting position is clear: with a win against Stuttgart, Bayern could wrap up their first title of the season. But for Kompany, this is just an interim step. „Now it’s time to decide how often we celebrate and how big we can celebrate,“ he explained – and thus summed up the big goal
The record champions are facing a decisive few weeks, and if Kompany has his way, it will all start with a win against Stuttgart – without the championship trophy in sight.