26-year-old France worldwide who has performed for FC Bayern since 2021 says he has learnt loads from new coach Vincent Kompany, who used to play in the identical place throughout his personal energetic profession.
In our interview, Upamecano displays on the secrets and techniques behind Bayern’s present success, Kompany’s teaching model, and what his staff must do to keep up their present momentum.
Learn concerning the French-born participant’s mind-set and priorities as a defender, his virtually symbiotic relationship with Min-jae Kim, how he prepares for Der Klassiker, his ideas about Serhou Guirassy, and his expectations for the soon-to-follow recreation towards his former membership RB Leipzig.
The place has your current defensive stability come from?
“I believe we’ve tailored very properly to the model of play that our coach expects. We wish to play as a staff. In case you watch our video games, it’s not simply the defenders who’re defending; it’s the offensive gamers too who assist us out. We’re a staff, and once we step out onto the pitch, we play as one. That’s what helps us to achieve success.”
Did you make any tactical changes which have helped?
“He (Vincent Kompany) has helped us loads as a coach since coming in. He performed in my place for a few years and has a whole lot of expertise. We do a whole lot of video evaluation. As a defender, I’ve discovered loads from him – each on the pitch and off the pitch. He talks to me loads, which helps.”
How is the present run of fresh sheets benefiting the staff?
“It’s excellent for the defence. As defenders, we don’t rating that many objectives, so the very best factor you are able to do on the pitch is hold a clear sheet. After I step out onto the pitch, I’m clear with myself that I don’t wish to concede objectives. So it represents a giant victory for us as defenders once we hold a clear sheet. I hope it continues.”
What makes your relationship with Minjae so sturdy?
“To be trustworthy, I really like enjoying with him. He’s a bit like me as a participant; he’s calm, and when he steps out onto the pitch, he exhibits his character. You shouldn’t overlook that he was the very best defender in Italy as properly. He’s an excellent defender, though, like me, we didn’t have an ideal season final 12 months. However this 12 months, we perceive one another higher. And I hope to proceed enjoying alongside him for so long as doable.”
Dayot Upamecano competes through the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and VfB Stuttgart at Allianz Area on 19 October 2024 – Getty Photographs
How do you talk with one another?
“We don’t converse the identical language. He speaks English and Korean. I converse French and German. However we combine all of it collectively once we converse. I converse in English generally, though I don’t discover it that straightforward. We perceive one another on the pitch. Like I stated, it’s a pleasure enjoying with him as a result of he’s calm, and he’s a bit like me as a participant; he’s highly effective on the pitch. It’s attention-grabbing watching him, and I be taught loads from him too. He’s a giant participant with a lot of expertise. I believe he brings loads to this staff.”
What kind of directions do you get from Vincent Kompany?
“Once we’re out on the pitch, he’ll typically appropriate my positioning. And encourage me to be extra vocal, as I’m a pacesetter within the staff. I’ve discovered loads from him as a coach. I used to look at him at Man Metropolis once I was rising up, and I noticed how he used to play himself. I’ve discovered loads, however I don’t suppose that can ever finish – I nonetheless have loads to be taught. I’m very completely happy that he’s right here.”
How do the defenders profit from having him as a coach?
“If I offer you an instance of one thing I like loads, in our coaching session yesterday, we have been engaged on an train, and I used to be not capable of do it. He stored going and going and by no means stopped. We stored repeating the train till I managed to do it. He’s virtually like a giant brother in that sense. He actually encourages and helps his youthful brother. I hope it continues in the identical approach. He corrected my positioning. I used to be within the incorrect place. He confirmed me precisely what I wanted to do to defend higher in that state of affairs. He was proper that I used to be within the incorrect place relative to the attacker, however he corrected that, and after that, the train went loads higher.”
How is his teaching model completely different from different managers?
“I like his model as a coach. He encourages me to remain near the attacker, to hunt out one-on-one conditions, and to press aggressively. I’ve performed a urgent recreation since I used to be 15 years previous in Strasbourg. I like enjoying like that. It doesn’t scare me. And you’ll want to be courageous to defend one vs. one. I like the best way that he performs his soccer, and that’s why I’m so completely happy that he’s right here as our coach.”
You’ve gotten a six-point lead on the high of the desk. How motivated are the staff to increase that lead?
“We’ve got to maintain our ft on the bottom. We have to hold working laborious. We all know that there’s a whole lot of matches to come back. We are going to take it recreation by recreation. We wish to win each single recreation, after all. However that isn’t straightforward, and the essential factor is constant to work laborious and be taught. The groups behind us usually are not sleeping. We have to hold going, match by match, and we’ll see the place we find yourself.”
You might be filled with confidence as a staff. Are you aware any completely different?
“No, as I stated, we’re protecting our ft on the bottom. However we all know that we’re Bayern. And our opponents know that we glance to win each single recreation we play. However we’re having a very good 12 months thus far. We have to keep grounded, take it match by match, and look to win as many matches as doable.”
Der Klassiker is simply across the nook. What recollections do you’ve of this fixture?
“It’s the yellow wall, the stadium; the stadium is unimaginable. It’s a giant stadium, and we actually stay up for enjoying towards them each season. I really scored a purpose in my final match towards them. We are going to go there to get the win. It is going to be a giant recreation and we’ll do all the things we will to go away with three factors.”
Are you wanting ahead to going through the yellow wall?
“We’ll have our ways. They’ve an excellent coach and a few nice gamers like us. However like I stated, we’re going there to win. That’s what we do each recreation, and that received’t change towards Dortmund. They’re wanting very sturdy as a staff this season, like Leipzig and Leverkusen. However we’re going there for the win, not to have a look at the yellow wall.”
What classes from earlier encounters will you are taking into the sport?
“It’s teamwork. I do know they’ve some excellent gamers, individuals like Guirassy and Malen, who’re troublesome to include. However as I stated, we’re a staff. We win collectively, and we battle collectively.”
What makes Serhou Guirassy so particular?
“He has a whole lot of expertise as a participant. He likes the ball at his ft. He jogs my memory of Harry Kane considerably as a result of he’s good at holding the ball up. He is aware of find out how to rating objectives. So he’s not straightforward to play towards. However we’re a staff. He isn’t their solely risk, although. We have to concentrate on stopping the staff as a complete, not simply Guirassy.”
What is going to it’s important to do to cease him?
“As I stated, it’s not simply him. Dortmund are a giant membership with a lot of high quality gamers. We are going to hearken to the recommendation from our coach and play our recreation.”
You’ll face Leipzig shortly earlier than the winter break. How will you put together for that recreation?
“Leipzig are my former membership. They’re an excellent membership, and I’m nonetheless in touch with a few of the gamers there. They’re simply behind us on the desk and are pushing us laborious. We all know it received’t be straightforward to play a staff like Leipzig, who press aggressively and who’ve a very good coach. We have to be prepared, and that’s what we’ll do.”
Are you in contact with any of the RB gamers?
“I’m in touch with Amadou Haidara. He’s my buddy, so we converse recurrently earlier than and after matches. It is going to be an attention-grabbing recreation for certain, and I stay up for it.”
What units Sesko, Openda, and Simmons aside as an offensive trio?
“They’re highly effective ahead gamers. They like going up towards defenders one on one. And so they know find out how to rating objectives too and find out how to press you. That’s the kind of participant that performs at RB Leipzig. However I’ve a lot of expertise enjoying towards gamers like Sesko – there are many bodily strikers within the Bundesliga that may rating objectives. As I stated, they’re a very good staff. We are going to defend properly and look to go away the sport with the clear sheet intact.”
