Vincent Kompany, the head coach of Bayern Munich, shared that he has learned to remain composed, as he wishes to avoid using foul language in front of his children.
The former captain of Manchester City admitted that his history of swearing during Premier League matches has led to some challenging moments at home, especially as he prepares for his team’s upcoming Bundesliga match against struggling FC Augsburg at the Allianz Arena this Saturday.
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When questioned about what makes him frustrated, Kompany responded at a news conference: “My children often watch clips of me swearing on YouTube from the Premier League. It doesn’t place me in a strong position at home while teaching them what language is appropriate.”
“When my players become overly confident… We need to remember our capabilities, which we already do. I just dislike unnecessary arrogance. If we underperform compared to our usual standard, that sometimes frustrates me.”
“This job means a lot to me, as it’s a sign of respect for the club and our opponents. Therefore, I strive to remain as calm as I can.”
Bayern may not tolerate arrogance internally, but their confidence is understandably high, boasting a record of nine wins and a draw in their last 10 matches since suffering their only defeat of the season, a 3-1 loss against Arsenal on November 26.
They hold an 11-point lead over Borussia Dortmund at the top of the league, although they had to rally from behind in their last two matches against FC Cologne and RB Leipzig before winning 2-0 against Union St-Gilloise in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Kompany noted: “This is the Bundesliga. When our opponents come out strong in the first half, it’s challenging for us to score multiple goals quickly.”
“It’s never easy, not in the Bundesliga or the Champions League. Against Leipzig, our rivals started much stronger than us. We managed to overcome that, but I hope not to see such occurrences again. We produced a different performance in the second half.”
“However, I would prefer things to go less smoothly in the first half and improve in the second rather than the reverse, which would be problematic.”
Augsburg has suffered defeat in their last seven encounters against Bayern in all competitions, including a 3-2 loss at home in August, conceding 25 goals in the process since their only victory, a 1-0 home win in September 2022.
They will, however, be without Dayot Upamecano, who is unwell, joining a growing injury list that includes fellow defenders Josip Stanisic, Konrad Laimer, and Sacha Boey.
Bayern is still waiting for Upamecano’s response regarding a contract extension, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly interested in acquiring the French defender.
“There were rumors that Upamecano had more or less agreed to terms. We never stated that,” said Max Eberl, Bayern’s sporting director, on Friday. “What we said was that we’re waiting for Upa’s response. That’s the only thing that matters, and that’s what we’re waiting for.”
Upamecano joined Bayern from Leipzig in 2021 after they paid his release clause, which amounted to approximately €43 million (around $52.2 million at the time). If he chooses not to extend his contract, he could leave Bayern for free at the end of the season when his current deal expires.
“I’m not under any pressure. I hope a resolution comes soon, but I don’t have a deadline,” the player said earlier this month.
PA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.