Kingsley Coman reveals the truth behind Bayern Munich exit: “Part of the club wanted to see me go.” | OneFootball

After a decade on the books at Bayern Munich, Kingsley Coman made the switch to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr in the summer. Now, the 29-year-old winger has shed light upon what really happened behind the scenes of his departure, as kicker reports.

As recently as the end of June, Coman had made it clear he had no intentions on seeking a move away from Germany, once declaring: “I want to stay at Bayern.” Nevertheless, just a matter of weeks later, he was packing his bags and leaving the German champions to join Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.

Even now – two months into this new chapter of his career – Coman admits he could have easily imagined staying in Munich. “By the end of the transfer, there were certain things – I won’t get into details – that made everything more complicated. It wasn’t that I was forced out, but the club made it clear that, financially, they were open to me leaving.”

Incidentally, Bayern’s board member for sport, Max Eberl, had already floated the idea of selling him a year earlier – a move which Coman had refused at the time. However, this summer it was different – he said he still felt “the love of the coach, the fans, and some board members,” but not from everyone. “There was a part of the club that wanted to see me go, and that really weighed on me,” the 29-year-old admitted.

Coman joined Bayern from Juventus in 2015, going on to win nine Bundesliga titles and score the winning goal in the 2020 Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Over the course of 330 appearances in all competitions, the winger scored 72 goals and provided 71 assists – not bad for a player who also had to battle several repeated injuries throughout his Bayern career.

Despite his mixed feelings surrounding his departure, Coman insisted there was no bad blood between him and his former club, declaring: “I’ll come back one day to say goodbye properly. I spent nearly ten years there and the club still means a lot to me.”

Coman has enjoyed a strong start to life as an Al-Nassr player, claiming two goals and four assists in his opening four league games. Such performances have seen him make a return to the French national squad for the October internationals, after having missed out on playing the Nations League’s final stages earlier in the year.

Having received the call-up from France coach Didier Deschamps, Coman insists the move hasn’t changed his level: “Twenty minutes per game at Bayern or playing every week here – which is better?” he asked rhetorically.

“I’m the same player I was in Munich. I’m not going to suddenly lose my quality. Al-Nassr has a great team – we’d hold our own in Europe. And here, I get to play regularly. At Bayern, when you only play every other game, your influence fades.”

GGFN | Sam Carey