After two intense days of training, Vincent Kompany gave his players a break on Wednesday. One player, however, apparently wasn’t having any of it: Jonas Urbig showed up at Säbener Straße anyway and completed an extra session with goalkeeper coach Michael Rechner.
Preparations for the start of the competitive season are picking up steam at FC Bayern. After returning from their tour of Asia, the Munich squad had two intense training sessions on the schedule for Monday and Tuesday.
Coach Vincent Kompany therefore decided to give his team a day off on Wednesday. The Bayern pros were to have the opportunity to recover and recharge for the upcoming challenges.
For Urbig, however, a day off from training didn’t automatically mean he stayed away from Säbener Straße.
Urbig trains with Michael Rechner
The 22-year-old showed up at the German record champions’ training facility and completed an extra session alongside goalkeeper coach Michael Rechner.
In doing so, Urbig is sending a clear message amid the competition with Manuel Neuer. The youngster is entering his second full season with FC Bayern and is expected to take on an increasingly important role in the future.
Last season, Urbig already made 20 competitive appearances for the record champions. In crucial matches, however, Kompany continued to rely primarily on captain Neuer.
That could change—at least in part—in the new season. Urbig is expected to get more playing time and gradually prepare to become FC Bayern’s number one goalkeeper in the long term.
The competition with Neuer enters the next round
That’s precisely why additional training sessions like the one on Wednesday are so important. Urbig knows he can’t afford to let his guard down while playing behind Neuer. At the same time, the former Cologne player must seize every opportunity to prove himself worthy of more playing time.
The situation in Bayern’s goal remains exciting. Even at 40, Neuer is heading into the new season as captain and a key leader. At the same time, the club’s management wants to continue developing Urbig and gradually give him more responsibility.
The upcoming friendly matches will reveal when the 22-year-old will get his next chance to prove himself. Bayern’s next tough test comes as early as Saturday in the Telekom Cup against RB Leipzig.