"Van der Vaart and de Jong in the jacuzzi": Vincent Kompany unsolicitedly backs Joshua Kimmich in curious monologue
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany senses an ulterior motive in a question about Tom Bischof - and launches into a lengthy response!
FC Bayern's press conference on Friday ahead of the Bundesliga match against FC Augsburg was already winding down when coach Vincent Kompany was asked about Tom Bischof. The 21-year-old all-rounder had recently turned in strong performances for Germany alongside his Munich team-mate Aleksandar Pavlovic. Could that affect his standing at FC Bayern? In Munich, Bischof has featured only sporadically in the still young season, playing just 205 of a possible 630 minutes. FC Bayern's usual double pivot is Joshua Kimmich and Pavlovic.
Kompany then launched into a monologue that lasted around three and a half minutes and included some curious digressions. He began by describing Bischof's playing time at this early stage of the season as "not abnormal" and then said: "The national team plays no role in my decisions on the starting XI. I'm absolutely delighted when the players come back with a good feeling. That is a factor I take with me, because I want players to have a good feeling."
Kompany also had advice for players who had suffered disappointment with their national teams. "They can leave that behind them and come back with the feeling they had after the last match at Bayern: 7-0 at home, where they all played outstandingly." Immediately before the international break, FC Bayern hit Union Berlin for seven.
Vincent Kompany recalls his experiences as a player at HSV
Looking back on his own career, Kompany said he first had to learn how to shut out setbacks on international duty. "I didn't always have success with the Belgium national team. I still remember quite well when, during my time at HSV, we were 70th or 80th in the world rankings," Kompany said, joking to general laughter in the direction of sporting director Christoph Freund, who was sitting next to him: "Almost like Austria a few years ago."
During that dark spell for Belgian football, "I was one of the top players in my team, went to the national team, then we lost 2-0 or 3-0 in Kazakhstan, Armenia or Azerbaijan. Then you come back with such a bad feeling. Then you've got the Dutch there. Rafael van der Vaart and Nigel de Jong (his team-mates at Hamburger SV at the time, editor's note) were sitting in their jacuzzi and asking: 'What was wrong with Belgium?' And of course the Germans as well. So you always have a negative feeling. But then I learned that you simply have to come back with a good feeling."
Vincent Kompany speculates: "Kimmich is behind your thoughts"
Eventually, Kompany showed why he had gone down those side roads. "Now to your question about Bischof and Kimmich, because he is behind your thoughts, even though you didn't say the name," Kompany speculated in the direction of the reporter. He apparently avoided lavish praise for Bischof because he had already sensed that it could be used against Kimmich.
To recap: Kimmich disappointed with Germany in the defeat against Greece, then had to leave as planned afterwards, against his publicly expressed wishes, as part of Jürgen Klopp's squad changes, and then had to watch as Bischof and Pavlovic shone. The result was major debate about Kimmich's standing in the national team.
With that monologue, Kompany indirectly suggested that Kimmich should take his cue from his good performances in the still young season for FC Bayern. He also made clear that those displays remain the benchmark for his decisions at Bayern. "What is important," Kompany explained, "I have not forgotten who played against Union Berlin and how well they played. I have not forgotten who played against Bodö/Glimt and how well they played. I have not forgotten who played against Dortmund in the Supercup and against Stuttgart." Always involved and mostly convincing: Joshua Kimmich.
