Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany said he has learned to keep his cool because he does not want to turn the air blue in front of his children.
The former Manchester City skipper’s showreel has landed him in trouble at home, as he revealed during his preparations for his side’s Bundesliga clash with lowly FC Augsburg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
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Asked when he got annoyed, Kompany told a news conference: “My children always saw it on YouTube when I swore in the Premier League. It doesn’t put me in a strong position at home when I’m bringing them up, telling them what to say and what not to say.
“But when I get really annoyed, when we’re too arrogant … we have to be convinced of how strong we are and we already know that. But I don’t like unnecessary arrogance. If we do less than we normally have to, then I sometimes get annoyed.
“For me, this work is so important, a sign of respect towards the club, towards the opponents. That’s why I try to stay as calm as possible.”
While arrogance may not be tolerated within the Bayern camp, confidence is understandably high after a run of 10 games comprising nine wins and a draw since their only defeat this season, a 3-1 Champions League reverse at Arsenal on Nov. 26.
They are already 11 points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table, although had to come from behind to win at both FC Cologne and RB Leipzig in their last two league games before Wednesday night’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Union St-Gilloise.
Kompany said: “It’s the Bundesliga. When the opponents are so fresh in the first 45 minutes and give everything for the game plan, then it’s not that easy for us to score two or three goals and it’s all over.
“It doesn’t work like that, not in the Bundesliga, not in the Champions League. Against Leipzig, our opponents were much better than us at the start. We survived that, but I don’t want to see that any more. We wrote a different story in the second half.
“But that’s different to the other games. I prefer things to not go that well in the first half and then go well in the second. The other way round would be a big problem.”
Augsburg have lost their last seven meetings with the champions in all competitions, including a 3-2 home defeat in August, and conceded 25 goals in the process since a 1-0 home win in September 2022.
However, they will not have to deal with Dayot Upamecano, who is unwell and has joined a casualty list which also includes fellow defenders Josip Stanisic, Konrad Laimer and Sacha Boey.
Bayern are still waiting for Upamecano to respond to a contract extension offer, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-German reportedly interested in signing the France defender.
“There was speculation that Upa had more or less agreed. We never said that,” Bayern’s board member for sport, Max Eberl, said Friday. “We said we’re waiting on Upa’s answer. That’s the only thing that counts and that’s what we’re waiting for.”
Upamecano switched from Leipzig in 2021 when Bayern paid his release fee of around €43 million (then $52.2 million). If he doesn’t sign an extension, he can leave Bayern for free at the end of the season when his current deal expires.
“I’m not under any pressure. I hope there’s a solution soon. I don’t have a deadline,” the player said this month.
PA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
