Things get intense at FC Bayern, and not just during games. Tom Bischof reveals how Vincent Kompany pushes his stars to their limits in training.
FC Bayern is currently preparing for the start of the new Champions League season. On Thursday evening, the Munich team will host Bodo/Glimt at the Allianz Arena. Following the 0-0 draw against FC Schalke 04, they’re looking to get back to winning ways against the Norwegians.
To ensure his team is ready for the heavy workload on the national and international stage, Vincent Kompany apparently demands a lot from his players even during the week. Tom Bischof has now revealed just how intense training at Säbener Straße actually is.
During a press conference for the club’s own Teens Club, the 21-year-old dispelled the notion that the Bayern stars take it easy between competitive matches.
“Maybe a lot of people think we ease up a bit in training or that top stars like Harry Kane, Michael Olise, or Luis Diaz do less then. But here’s how it is for us: Our goal is for training to be harder than the game on the weekend. That way, we’re perfectly prepared. Not many people know that. We always want to push ourselves to the limit—or beyond it.”
Bischof raves about the level of Bayern’s training
Kompany regularly incorporates intense, competitive drills into his sessions. The Bayern coach demands aggressive pressing, quick ball recoveries, and a high tempo. The former center back even occasionally joins in himself, challenging his players in one-on-one situations.
Bischof is particularly impressed by the final training match. When asked about his favorite drill, the midfielder replied: “The 11-on-11 because the level of play is just brutal. I’ve never experienced anything like it—the quality is simply off the charts—and that’s how you improve day by day.”
For Bischof himself, the training sessions are also an opportunity to earn more playing time. The German international has primarily been used as a substitute in central midfield so far. In the 0-0 draw at Schalke, he came on as a substitute for Aleksandar Pavlovic in the closing stages.
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The high intensity of training fits Kompany’s style of play. Since taking over, the Belgian has relied on aggressive counter-pressing and aims to put pressure on the opponent as early as possible. At the same time, the Bayern coach is working to make his team more versatile.
The recent away game at Schalke demonstrated just how necessary this is. The Royal Blues defended deep, compactly, and with tremendous intensity. Although Bayern created several great scoring chances, they were unable to find their usual solutions for long stretches of the game and had to settle for a draw for the first time this Bundesliga season.
The team could face a similar challenge as early as the match against Bodo/Glimt. Kompany is apparently already laying the groundwork at Säbener Straße to maintain a high tempo for 90 minutes even against tough opponents—with training sessions that, according to Bischof, are said to be even tougher than the games themselves.