On October 10, CET at 13:30, Bayern Munich will face Augsburg away in the 5th round of the Bundesliga. Ahead of the match, Kompany attended the team's press conference. In the second part of the press conference (which we have divided into three parts due to its length), he discussed his views on the packed schedule and the team's rotation strategy.
Starting with the Augsburg match, you will play 8 games in about 25 days. How do you view this schedule? How challenging is it after the long international break?
We have the squad to cope with it, and our players are fully confident going into these 8 matches. I prefer the rhythm of playing every three days more than the past three weeks without games. For me, this is a good thing, and the players will enjoy it too. One thing I've learned during this time is that when you have a large squad, you must maintain mental stability.
It's not about focusing solely on one final in every game; for example, the match against Magdeburg must be won. For the remaining matches, the goal is to keep the team in a good position and ensure we remain competitive in all competitions by the end of the season. That's how I view the schedule, approaching it with full belief to deliver our best performance.
What is your reaction to the news regarding Manchester City's ruling? Does this change your perception of the achievements you made at Manchester City during your time there?
My answer is exactly the same as before. I spent 11 years at this club, and I enjoyed every moment of playing there. I am incredibly proud of everything we achieved on the pitch.
Players themselves are not involved in these off-field matters. Now, as the head coach of Bayern Munich, I won't dwell too much on this. My focus is on preparing for tomorrow's must-win match and all the upcoming work.
What is the team's current situation? Many international players were away with their national teams, and many performed well, but some, like Lucio, had a chance to rest. How is the team's condition and the locker room atmosphere? Is everyone ready except for Musiala?
First, regarding yesterday's training session, the French and English players returned a bit later. If the players can maintain the same level they showed in training yesterday, then we will have a chance on Saturday. They are highly motivated, and you can feel that energy.
The national team duties are over, and now they are back with Bayern Munich. I hope they can carry their training form into the match against Augsburg. From yesterday's training, I believe the overall situation is positive, and I expect it to continue today and tomorrow.
Of course, Musiala is still recovering from injury. With 18 or 19 international players called up, it's inevitable that unexpected things happen during a three-week break. But overall, all players have returned healthy, and we can immediately feel that in training.
With the upcoming dense schedule, load management is undoubtedly crucial. What is your approach for preparing for Augsburg? You mentioned earlier that many players returned at different times. Without revealing the starting lineup, could you explain how you plan to manage them? For example, how do you balance Alphonso Davies and Urbig while planning for multiple subsequent matches?
The answer is: there's no fixed formula. Let me explain: Many people understand load management as setting up a rotation schedule, with Team A playing on Saturday, Team B on Wednesday, and then rotating again next Saturday. Young coaches often try this initially. I tried it seven years ago, and it doesn't work.
My understanding is that when talking about load management, the prerequisite is that players must first reach 100% of their capacity. If a player hasn't given their all in a match and hasn't completely exhausted themselves, then you can't talk about load management. After that, we rationally assess: is another player in top condition, and is it his turn to play?
We consider everything to ensure that after these 8 games, the players remain healthy. Many decisions combine two approaches: proactive rotation when the situation is clear, and also adapting as needed. When players aren't tired, there's no need for load management.
They must first experience exhaustion, and then we make reasonable judgments. We have been doing this for the past few years, which has helped us keep everyone healthy during critical periods. Load management is not simply writing down minutes played in a table. First, players must push themselves to the limit, and then we make rational rotation decisions for the team.
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