"Alphonso Davies is the fastest player at Bayern Munich" - Kingsley Coman
Kingsley Coman may be able to match Kylian Mbappe for pace, but the France international has revealed he is no longer the quickest player at Bayern Munich - that title belongs to Alphonso Davies.
Coman, 23, says he's "pretty much the same" over 15-20 metres as international teammate Mbappe. He also set a new Bundesliga record in the early part of 2019/20 by clocking a top speed of 22.16 miles per hour, officially making him the fastest player in Germany's top flight since detailed data collection began in 2011.
However, the Frenchman has since been usurped in the league-wide sprint stakes by Borussia Dortmund's Achraf Hakimi (22.49 mph), Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby (22.34 mph) and Cologne's Kingsley Ehizibue (22.3 mph), as well as on the Bayern training pitches by Canadian teenager Davies.
"It's him," Coman told Eurosport when asked which of the two wide players is the record champions' king of speed. "We've already done some testing at Bayern, it's him. If it's speed in slaloms or turning I think I'm a little faster, but in a straight line it's him."
Coman's admission is unlikely to come as much of a surprise to eagle-eyed Bundesliga fans, given Davies' electric performances up and down Bayern's left flank this season.
The 19-year-old joined the club from Vancouver Whitecaps in January 2019 as a prodigious winger, but has been repurposed as world-class left-back in this his breakout campaign on German soil. He started 23 competitive matches in a row prior to the COVID-19 enforced break, turning heads with his turbo-charged acceleration and rapid recovery times - measured officially at around 22mph.
Davies has credited Coman, among others, for his seamless transition from Major League Soccer to the Bundesliga.
"On my second day there, I spoke to Kingsley Coman," he recalled in an interview with SportsIllustrated. "We were sitting down eating breakfast, and he told me that when we train don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Because it happens, but when you make that mistake, try and get the ball back as quickly as possible, and don’t be afraid to try and do things to express yourself."
Watch: Alphonso Davies under the tactical microscope
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Coman should know. The former Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus talent has lifted four Bundesliga titles and two DFB Cups in four full seasons as a Bayern player since debuting under Pep Guardiola in September 2015. His next Bundesliga appearance will be his 100th, and first since Hansi Flick was named permanent head coach. The France international has welcomed the decision.
"He had already forged a friendship with the players that you don't normally have with a coach, when he took on the role," Coman said of Flick, who replaced Niko Kovac in an interim capacity in November 2019, following a short stint as the Croatian's assistant. "That helped to get the team back on track at a difficult time. He hasn't changed much, but he has given us new impetus."
Bayern have won 18 of their 21 competitive matches with Flick in charge. They have returned to the top of the Bundesliga in that time, are through to the DFB Cup semi-finals and ran out 3-0 winners in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie against English Premier League club Chelsea.
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