Press conference: Kompany and Freund on the Supercup, integrating talents and Müller's legacy | OneFootball

Bayern Munich are facing Stuttgart in the MHP Arena where they'll try to win the Franz-Beckenbauer-Supercup on Saturday, August 16th.

Ahead of said game, headcoach Vincent Kompany and sporting director Christoph Freund answer questions about the game, integrating talents and Bayern's transfer activities this summer.

Here are all the quotes from the press conference:

Vincent Kompany (FC Bayern headcoach)…

…on the importance of the Supercup:

"I've won it a few times in my career and I know from experience that it's important if you've won it. If you haven't, you say it's not that important. For us as a club, every title is important, so this one is important as well. We want to win tomorrow."

…on Kingsley Coman's imminent departure:

"When such a successful player leaves the club, it's always emotional. We also have to understand his decision and what he wants. We have a lot of respect for what he's done. From my point of view, the priority is the players who are here in the squad."

…on Lennart Karl and other Bayern talents:

"We're very proud when we can bring young players from the Campus into the first team, like Lennart Karl. Not only him, we even promoted players who were with the U17s four or five months ago. But of course, not everyone can become a Bayern player right away. It also depends on the position; And it's also normal that not everyone makes it straight to the first team. But in the long run, we're in a good position when it comes to our young players and they'll get their chance over the course of the season."

…on Lennart Karl's desire to play in the Bundesliga/Supercup:

"There was an interview where a player was asked if he wanted to play. And then we're surprised that his answer was, 'Yes, I'd like to play.' You see what I mean, right? The most important thing is that the squad spot is there. We didn't have that last season. We always want to give them a chance."

…on the Supercup lineup and if it'll include any talents:

"I'm not saying anything about tomorrow's lineup. It's not about individual players; we want to win. It doesn't benefit us to reveal the lineup now, so we won't do that. The young players have to wait for their chance - and then be there when they get the chance. Please give us and them a little time - and then we'll have new German talents at FC Bayern. This is a long-term process; it's not about hype, but about a successful career for them."

…on Serge Gnabry and his substitution against Grasshopper Zürich:

"Serge felt something in the final training session before Tottenham. Only a partial integration against Zurich was possible, but he trained fully again and has a lot of experience, so it's not a big problem. But we couldn't take the risk against Zurich, with Stuttgart in mind. There was nothing more to it."

…on life after Thomas Müller in the dressing room:

"I don't know what it'll be like without him yet; he trained with us a few more times. I'll keep a special feeling for him; he was very positively intense. I believe his influence and this move will be special for his life experience. I can already imagine how he'll influence the dressing room in Canada. But for us, it's a matter of who will occupy that spot in the dressing room."

Christoph Freund (FC Bayern sporting director)…

…on Kingsley Coman's imminent departure:

"It's in the final stages, but not done yet. King is one of the players who shaped FC Bayern over the past decade. If it gets done, it's a loss from a sporting perspective. It was a process. There were many discussions. There's a lot of respect between us, which is why these discussions were made possible."

…on why Adam Aznou couldn't make it at Bayern Munich:

"We had a plan with Adam. He's a very talented player. But the player has to be convinced of the club's plans. It wasn't our plan to sell him, but it was his big desire to make this transfer. At the end of the day, we decided together that it had to be the best for everyone, including him. He has to be convinced, full of energy and passion, behind what he's doing. That's why we agreed on the move."

…on possible new transfers:

"The quantity [of players in the squad] is lower, but the quality is still high – we still have two weeks before the end of the transfer window, but we're already well equipped. We wanted to make a few changes. But we also don't want too big of a squad; we want to have a good mix. We'll have a lot of games and need a good, deep squad. But key players like Musiala, Davies, and Itō will also be returning from injury."

…on life after Thomas Müller in the dressing room:

"He played a leading role, provided a lot of entertainment, and was always a topic of conversation. But it's also an opportunity for other players to step into these roles. Life thrives on change, and so does football – but he was, of course, a special player and a special personality."

…on Jonah Kusi-Asare and his future in Munich:

"He's been training with us for 10-12 months and has made good progress. His first time in a new environment, away from Sweden, wasn't easy either. He just turned 18, and our plan is for him to stay here and fight for his minutes. It's a different situation for a striker, when you come in briefly, in a substitute role. If he fights for that, it would be great for him. He has great energy, has settled in well with the team, and he's showing that on the pitch now. He's on the right track."

…on Nick Woltemade:

"There was a lot of debate about deadlines, numbers - but we never commented on that, and we won't do it now. FC Bayern wasn't the party that generated this discussion. We're playing VfB Stuttgart tomorrow, where the player is under contract. Out of respect, we won't be going into that before the game."