About 8 months ago, Bayern Munich felt they were on the brink of a crisis that few people could have predicted. Their 11-time Bundesliga championship streak was stopped by Bayer Leverkusen. In the European arena, the Bavarian team once again failed, being eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
Not only did they decline on the pitch, the often- seen solid foundation of the "Gray Tigers" behind the scenes was also shaken. The simmering internal tensions at the Allianz Arena have signaled a storm ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
The club's top brass realized that the move to appoint Thomas Tuchel to replace Julian Nagelsmann had failed. Meanwhile, Nagelsmann has become a fairly successful and popular coach of the German national team.
Above all, Bayern's own coaching search has become a public relations nightmare. German media reported a long list of candidates who rejected the invitation of the "Gray Tigers".
In the end, Bayern appointed Vincent Kompany, a less feasible solution because the Belgian strategist could not help Burnley stay in the Premier League. serious questions have been raised about Kompany's lack of experience and overall achievements as a coach.
However, just a few weeks after the 38-year-old's arrival, club insiders began praising Kompany's management style. They repeatedly stressed that for the first time in a long time, Bayern did not seem to be in a state of turmoil.
Kompany and sporting director Max Eberl have always maintained a harmonious relationship. Meanwhile, many in the dressing room seem to have realized that the disagreement has led to their failure in the 2023-2024 season.
Even players who were unhappy with their roles at the start of this season - such as Leon Goretzka - have not spoken out to the media. Kompany has tried his best to praise and emphasize the importance of his students in the media.
The Belgian tactician exudes a calmness that is almost identical to Carlo Ancelotti in his approach to the team and the media. There have been times when things have changed. For example, the one-sided loss to Barcelona in the Champions League last October or the last 3/6 matches in 2024. They dropped points against Dortmund, were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by Bayer Leverkusen and suffered another Bundesliga defeat to Mainz.
Despite these results, Bayern's board still have reason to be calm and understand that the club needs to be much more patient than they have been recently.
Instead of criticizing the players at press conferences or post-match interviews, Kompany is handling everything inside the dressing room. This can also help reduce information leakage to the media.
Bayern are currently leading the Bundesliga with 4 points more than defending champions Leverkusen. In the Champions League, they are also well on their way to the group stage when they are ranked 10th. Overall, things are still on track for Kompany at the Allianz Arena.
