After Nagelsmann’s leap of faith
Causa Goretzka: That’s what Bayern coach Kompany says
March 5, 2026 – 4:58 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany has now also commented on national coach Nagelsmann’s statements about Goretzka. The case continues to polarize.
Vincent Kompany knew that this question would come to him. The supposed free pass that national coach Julian Nagelsmann gave midfielder Leon Goretzka in an interview on Monday with a view to the World Cup was ultimately the dominant topic of this week.
Kompany now had enough time to prepare his statement on the Goretzka case until the matchday press conference on Thursday morning before Bayern’s appearance on Friday against Gladbach (8.30 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online). When he was finally asked to do so, as expected, he said: “For me, all Bayern players would be in the national team. So I can’t be against that statement.”
Specifically, Nagelsmann said the following in the “Kicker”: “As of now, Leon Goretzka, despite less playing time at Bayern, will have a good chance of playing and having a similar role to the one he played in the World Cup qualifiers.”
Kompany emphasized that his role as Bayern coach was to focus on “what we can achieve at the club.” The Belgian continued that he “trusts our guys,” he continued.
“And the way Julian communicates for his team is also completely normal. That’s his ‘prerogative’,” he said in a mix of German and an English word. When Bayern press spokesman Dieter Nickles translated it into German with “priority” when asked, Kompany was not entirely satisfied with it.
“That’s one thing, but ‘prerogative’ means something else,” he insisted. Namely prerogative or privilege, which is what Kompany actually wanted to express. Kompany finally explained it again with his words: “He can decide for himself.” Just like it is Kompany’s prerogative and privilege as Bayern coach to decide on such matters for the record champions.
Recently, the decision has increasingly been against Goretzka. In Munich’s last seven competitive games, the 31-year-old was only in the starting line-up once and was not used at all three times. Goretzka’s role at Kompany is now limited to short assignments.
