Vincent Kompany wants to continue relying on FC Bayern’s young talent in the new season. However, the young players won’t be given a free pass. The Bayern coach makes it clear: Anyone who wants to play for the first team has to earn their playing time.
Kompany already showed last season that he isn’t afraid to give young players a chance. Numerous young players have also had the opportunity to showcase their skills during the current preseason.
The Belgian’s assessment so far is positive: “Pre-season has been positive so far, even though we still have many players who need to get back into the swing of things. Nevertheless, we’ve come through a few tough tests. We want to go into our first competitive match with full confidence.”
Especially during the Asian tour, several Campus talents took the opportunity to make a name for themselves.
Kompany emphasizes: “It’s all about performance.”
“The young players, for example, brought a lot of intensity to the game in Hong Kong. We pushed them, and they handled it well. That’s a good first step,” Kompany praised.
At the same time, the 40-year-old made it clear that age and talent alone aren’t enough to earn playing time: “For the young players, it’s all about performance and the fact that the guys have to earn it.”
However, Kompany sees developing young talent not only as a long-term strategy but also as a concrete advantage for his current roster: “Sometimes that’s also the best way for us to broaden the depth of our roster a bit.”
Binder Seizes His Chance Against Leipzig
The Bayern coach also emphasized that the club invests a lot of effort in its young talents. Ultimately, he said, it’s crucial that they make the most of their opportunities.
“We put a lot of time into developing these players. Now they’re getting playing time—maybe that’s not always the case in a given season, but eventually they’ll get their chance again,” Kompany explained. The goal isn’t just for the young players to fill out the roster, but to “make a positive contribution to the team.”
Tim Binder showed what that can look like in the 3-1 win over RB Leipzig. The 19-year-old started the game and was involved in setting up Luis Díaz’s opening goal.
Kompany’s message is therefore clear: The door to Bayern’s first team is open to the Campus talents. However, they’ll have to make it on their own merits.