Vincent Kompany is already challenging Harry Kane and Co at Bayern Munich, with the club’s new boss ready to identify who is “hungry enough”.
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Rare trophyless season endured in 2023-24Belgian drafted in as new managerIntends to make German giants great againGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The German giants allowed collective standards to dip in dramatic fashion during the 2023-24 campaign. Having been a dominant force for well over a decade, the Bavarian heavyweights have endured a rare trophyless season – with Kane unable to break his trophy duck as a result.
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Thomas Tuchel has taken the decision to step down as coach, paving the way for former Manchester City star and ex-Burnley boss Kompany to inherit the reins. He has said of the challenges that he faces at the Allianz Arena: “It's still too early to talk about players. I'm looking forward to working with them. I want to find out how hungry the players are. Bayern didn't become champions last year, I'm familiar with that situation too. I'll look at which players are hungry enough to play for FC Bayern.”
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The Belgian added on his mindset: “I'm extremely motivated every day and have the goal of making the lads better. What motivates me most are the times when things aren't going well. Privately and professionally, that's in my nature. Bayern is a great club, I want to take everyone with me on this journey. I don't just want to have the best players, but also the best team.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Making Bayern great again will likely involve summer transfers, but Kompany said of potential recruitment business ahead of a campaign that will see Bayern trying to reach a home soil Champions League final: “We'll discuss internally what the squad needs. We want to win every game, always. That must always be our priority. Of course, the Champions League final is in Munich in 2025. But we won't achieve that by talking about it, we'll have to work hard for it every day in training.”