Bayern Munich Boss Vincent Kompany on Thomas Muller: Respecting His Decision

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany shows respect for Thomas Muller's decision to leave the club, focusing on the upcoming match against Inter Milan.

Bayern Munich will face Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-final first leg without several key players, but manager Vincent Kompany is confident in the team's available talent. The list of absentees includes goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, defenders Hiroki Ito, Alphonso Davies, and Dayot Upamecano, and forward Kingsley Coman. Additionally, midfielder Jamal Musiala suffered a thigh injury during Friday's 3-1 Bundesliga win over Augsburg, further depleting Kompany's options.

Despite the injury crisis, Kompany is focused on the task at hand and refuses to use the team's depleted roster as an excuse. He has expressed complete faith in the players who are available to face Inter Milan, and the team will need to rise to the challenge to overcome the Italian side. The match promises to be a significant test for Bayern Munich, but Kompany is optimistic about his team's chances.

“What can I say, we have entered a difficult situation. But we are in the Champions League and we have to look forward, not backwards,” Kompany told reporters on Monday.

“The available players will give their best, those who will go on the field have always trained at the top and will make their contribution.

🗣 𝗩𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗞𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 💬

"They're a team that always finds its moments. They're dangerous, not just on the counter-attack, but they're also good at build-up play and set-pieces. They score a lot of goals because they have very good… pic.twitter.com/t8LyreVMQU

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) April 7, 2025

“I have faith in these players, I don't want to complain and I don't want to change our goal or my strategies. Those who play are 100% and it means that they have my trust.”

Vincent Kompany remained tight-lipped when questioned about the possibility of Thomas Muller starting in place of the injured Jamal Musiala.

“I don't want to give too much information, we have already played without Jamal in a couple of games,” the Belgian coach said.

“We're not at the beginning of the season, but almost at the end, you can look back and see the creative solutions we have adopted to replace him.

“I have to see what we need for tomorrow's game, it's difficult to replace a talent like Musiala, but we also want other players in the squad to show their qualities.”

Fan favorite Thomas Muller announced on Saturday that he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season after the club did not offer him a new contract. However, manager Vincent Kompany's priority remains the upcoming match against Inter Milan. “The most important thing is the preparation for the match against Inter, this decision must be respected,” Kompany said, showing respect for Muller's career. “The career of a legend like him is so great and you have to show respect, it's a big theme but in the end my role is to prepare us for the next game.”

𝑸𝑼𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹-𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑳 💫 𝑪𝑹𝑼𝑵𝑪𝑯 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬 🚨#FCBINTER #UCL #FCBayern #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/4mfhfUG2Le

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) April 7, 2025

When asked if Muller would feature in the match against Inter, Kompany declined to comment further. “No, I would say that's enough. Let's sleep and see who will be in the starting line-up tomorrow,” he said, effectively ending speculation about Muller's potential involvement. Kompany's focus is on preparing his team for the challenge ahead, and he is not willing to discuss team selection until the last minute.