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With just a day left before the big showdown between Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Vincent Kompany, in the pre-match press conference, heaped praise on La Masia.
The Bayern coach specifically talked about two of La Masia’s finest products in recent years: Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi. He also talked about Hansi Flick, who was the most successful coach at Bayern since the departure of Pep Guardiola.
Kompany on facing Barcelona
First and foremost, though, Kompany was asked about tomorrow’s big encounter.
“Personally, I don’t make any difference between this game and others. The next game is always the most important game. I live every game just like you live this game. We will compete against a top European club,” he said.
Kompany on Hansi Flick
Kompany highlighted the impact Flick still has at Bayern, revealing that he is still a talked-about figure in Munich.
“Hansi was very successful at Bayern. People still talk about him in Munich today. He means a lot to Bayern. Hansi’s ideas are very clear, and hopefully, ours are too. Tomorrow we’ll see who wins,” he said.
Flick coached Bayern between November 2019 to the summer of 2021. During this period, Bayern won numerous titles, including the treble in the 2019/20 campaign.
Kompany on Yamal, Cubarsi
Kompany also talked about Barcelona’s young duo Yamal and Cubarsi, highlighting the role La Masia has played in honing their skills.
Talking about Yamal, the Bayern coach couldn’t hold back comparisons to Lionel Messi, stating,
“For Barcelona, it is exceptional that shortly after the departure of Messi, a key figure, they already have another player who can replace him. All my respect to La Masia.”
The Bayern Munich coach heaped praise on Cubarsi as well, backing the Spaniard to become a top defender if he can maintain his fitness.
“Pau Cubarsi will be one of the best defenders in football history. He is young and impressive. If injuries spare him, he will be a great player,” he said.
Pau Cubarsi earned a lot of praise from Kompany. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)It must be remembered that Kompany himself was one of the best defenders in the world at his time.
But tomorrow, he will have to find a way for Bayern to get past the sturdy defensive duo of Cubarsi and Inigo, as Bayern Munich look to inflict pain on Barça once again.
Bayern Munich team news
Kompany went on to shed light on Bayern Munich’s team heading into the game, including a clarification on the fitness of youngster Aleksandar Pavlovic following his knock in the last game.
“We all spoke to Aleks – but also to Ito, to Sacha, to Stanisic. We are always in contact with the injured players, we are not worried because they have the best support to come back,” he said.
The Bayern coach was asked whether or not Jamal Musiala is ready to start. But he offered a coy response.
“I don’t want to say much about the starting eleven. Everyone knows how important Jamal is. It’s not just about this game, but also the next 40. We want to find a balance and not get into a situation,” he said.
Talking about the team’s pecking order, Kompany added, “I speak with all my players, always try to be honest with everyone, not make things too complicated with who plays and who doesn’t. We’ll need all the players. The season will be a long one. There’s always more games.”
Kompany on Bayern 8-2 Barcelona
The Bayern Munich coach was also asked about the infamous 8-2 win for Bayern back in 2020.
“It was during the Covid. I understand that this is part of the drama around this game. But for me, it’s all about the 90 minutes tomorrow. There will be a new story of its own. And that’s the only one that interests me at the moment,” he said.
When asked about Bayern’s impressive stats this season, the coach once again offered a rather diplomatic answer.
“Points are more important to me than a good style of play or lots of goals. But it’s a different game tomorrow, against a different opponent. All the positive statistics you can list about us can also be listed for Barça.
“That’s what makes the game so exciting. The fans shouldn’t come to watch the coaches’ tactics but to marvel at the talent that the players show on the pitch. That’s what makes it really exciting,” he concluded.
