42 wins, four draws, and two losses this season. A Bundesliga won with ease, the German Supercup already in the trophy cabinet, the Cup final, and the penultimate act of the Champions League yet to be played: only the final curves remain to achieve a remarkably attainable quadruple. And Bayern Munich has demonstrated all the necessary dominance to go all the way. Behind the extraordinary numbers of Kane and his teammates, however, lies the hand of Vincent Kompany: the right coach, in the right place… and with the right ideas. Not only the tactical setup and the management of rotations that work wonderfully in this Bayern. But also some less orthodox yet equally winning insights to fuel group chemistry. Starting with the music that accompanies the players in training and pre-match. In fact: sometimes they are the ones who DJ it themselves.
The curiosity comes from L’Équipe, which tells how some Bayern stars, from Olise to Musiala, often improvise as DJs, setting the rhythm for their teammates. And it is Olise who takes charge of an impressive two-wheeled speaker to place at the sidelines when Bayern warms up: in short, a shared way to get the right energy. This is one of the many ideas from Kompany “to make Bayern a family.” And when it comes to a top global club, rather than a neighborhood sports club, the challenge becomes decidedly more difficult. But not impossible, for the former defender who is only in his sixth overall season on the bench – three consecutive two-year terms between Anderlecht, Burnley, and indeed Munich. Around here, since the summer of 2024, journalists and insiders have started to get used to open training sessions, accompanied by barbecues or cooling breaks with ice cream.
The most important ritual, however, remains the musical one. Kompany had already experimented with it during his time with Belgium, when he had the habit of letting the winning team of the training match choose the playlist for the next day. At Bayern, the idea has become more structured, and besides the DJ attacking midfielders, there have sometimes been real guest stars: Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti, Nigerian pop artist Ayo Jay, American singer Sabrina Carpenter. Everything, as long as Bayern’s stars feel comfortable in group life. “Sometimes we listen to cutting-edge rap, sometimes foreign songs, and other times the hits of the moment: it has become a fixed appointment and contributes to the family atmosphere that is felt during training. And Julian Nagelsmann has adopted it even for the National Team,” revealed an insider from the Bayern environment to the French daily.
But be careful not to label Kompany as a joker: the coach is fully aware of the beneficial impact of background music on the quality of training. According to some cognitive psychology experts, there is indeed a series of scientific studies that have validated the role of music on physical and psychological preparation before, during, and after competitive effort, in terms of recovery. By synchronizing brains, music strengthens social cohesion, allows players to process game information with converging dynamics, and can provide a significant advantage when it comes to making collective decisions in milliseconds, as happens in team sports. A common language, in short, that in Bayern’s locker room facilitates the work just like Kimmich and Gnabry’s ball circulation. It’s not a case of exaggeration, jokes aside, but being able to count on relaxed top players capable of playing by heart makes everything easier. And if everything comes so damn easy to this Bayern, there must be some other reason, beyond the technical level of its players: when in doubt, Kompany continues to turn up the volume.