Harry Kane’s unusual role in Bayern Munich’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal continues to spark debate. The English striker dropped deep with striking frequency during the Champions League match and at times even operated near his own penalty area. It’s a tactical move that former Bayern boss Oliver Kahn finds hard to understand.
The former CEO of the Munich club spoke critically on Sky about the record champions’ style of play. Kane’s defensive positioning, in particular, surprised the 57-year-old. “Against Arsenal, I had the feeling for the first time that the team as a whole was playing a bit more cautiously,” Kahn explained.
While he could understand that Kane occasionally drifts into midfield due to his outstanding passing skills, he felt this tactical approach went too far against the Londoners.
“To be honest, I found that at least questionable.”
“But the fact that he was playing in his own penalty area—to be honest, I found that at least questionable,” the former Bayern goalkeeper clarified.
For Kahn, it’s clear that Kane’s most important role must continue to be scoring goals. While the 33-year-old can certainly be valuable as a playmaker, his positioning shouldn’t come at the expense of the entire team.
“But of course, you have to be careful not to throw the entire structure off balance,” Kahn warned.
Particularly noteworthy: The former Bayern boss even doubts that Kane’s extremely defensive role was actually part of the original game plan. “I dare to doubt whether that was actually what the coach intended.”
According to information from BILD, however, Vincent Kompany had deliberately planned to use Kane as an additional defensive midfielder at times during the build-up play. Among other things, this was intended to compensate for Joshua Kimmich’s absence.
Kahn questions Bayern’s squad philosophy
In addition to the tactical approach, Kahn also addressed the record champions’ personnel situation.
Against Arsenal, two key players—Kimmich and the suspended Michael Olise—were missing. From the former CEO’s perspective, these absences made it clear that even Bayern’s top-tier roster cannot easily compensate for every setback.
“The quality is still incredibly high. But is it high enough that you can still win three titles with these players? That’s always the crucial question,” Kahn explained.
At the same time, he pointed to Munich’s deliberate transfer strategy. Not every position is being doubled up with another expensive top star. Instead, the club is also relying on young players and talent from its own youth academy.
For Kahn, this approach is fundamentally understandable. However, the decisive factor will be whether the existing squad depth is sufficient to remain competitive at the highest level even with several players out.