„Switch off mentally“: Bayern star Diaz receives special leave from Kompany | OneFootball

Luis Díaz has been one of FC Bayern’s most tireless players this season. Hardly any other winger has clocked up so many minutes and covered so many kilometers. Now a suspension has forced him to take a break – and Vincent Kompany is using the opportunity to give his top performer something he has hardly known for years: real regeneration. The Bayern coach granted the Colombian a short special leave

With 1,694 minutes of action under his belt, Luis Díaz is one of Vincent Kompany’s all-time favourites. Only Joshua Kimmich, Harry Kane and Michael Olise have spent more time on the pitch. The Colombian has been almost indispensable this season, both for Munich and for the national team

However, he will now miss two competitive matches: he will have to serve his final game of his red card in the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon and will miss the Bundesliga match against Mainz due to his fifth yellow card. This has opened up a window of opportunity for Kompany, which he is making targeted use of

Díaz stayed away from training on Monday, but for good reason. Kompany explained: „Luis has always played everything, for us and the national team. He always has long trips. He was in England for a long time, so he never had Christmas off. It’s sensible for him to have a few days off and be away.“

The coach emphasizes that the break has been deliberately chosen to ease the mental burden on his winger: „He will then come back mentally at the top of his game and pick up where he left off.“

Individual program – but real mental recovery

photo: IMAGO

Despite the days off, this does not mean a complete standstill for Díaz. Kompany made it clear that the players continue to work professionally even during the short break: „Sometimes we give players a little longer off, but they have an individual program and continue to work at home. The boys work almost every day and also have physios in private.“

It is therefore a measured break – not time off without obligations. For Kompany, the measure is part of a larger plan: to regain energy before the decisive phase of the season begins

Return against Heidenheim

However, the first half of the season is not over for Diaz. Kompany made it clear that „Lucho“ will be back on the pitch this year: „Christmas presents are given at Christmas (laughs). Lucho will be back against Heidenheim. He can switch off mentally.“

The coach even announced that such short breaks could become more frequent in the future, as they help to manage stress levels and strengthen players in the long term „We might do something like that again over the course of the season to get fresh again.“

For Díaz, the special leave is more than just a few days off. It shows how important he is to Kompany, how intensive his role is – and how important it is to the coach to keep his key players fit over the course of a long soccer year.