Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano: 'I simply want to win everything'
Fresh off the back of signing a contract extension which will keep him at Bayern Munich until 2030, Dayot Upamecano has declared his ambitions with the club as he enters the business end of the season. In an all-encompassing interview, the French centre-back discussed his reasons for staying, teammates Jonathan Tah and Manuel Neuer, and Vincent Kompany's special qualities as a coach...
Bundesliga: There was a lot of suspense surrounding your contract negotiations. What ultimately made you decide to extend your contract here and not look elsewhere?
Upamecano: “I felt the trust from the club and the coach. We have a great coach and a great team, and I'm very happy here. I simply want to win everything for this club and for the fans. I want to pay back the trust and give something back.”
Bundesliga: You've been with Bayern for almost five years now. Is there a moment from your time here that has particularly stuck in your mind?
Upamecano: “My first Meisterschale with Bayern was very special because it was my first Bundesliga title. I was very happy with that one and I hope I can win more in the future.”
Watch: Upamecano signs Bayern contract extension
Bundesliga: How important has your coach Vincent Kompany been, as a former world-class defender himself, to your own development and your decision to stay?
Upamecano: “He's a coach who's very open to conversations. He's doing a great job and I'm happy because, if I'm thinking about something in training that didn’t feel quite right, I can go into his office and talk to him about it. He's very open as a coach and I like that.”
Bundesliga: This season you've struck up a formidable partnership at the back with Jonathan Tah. How would you describe your relationship with him?
Upamecano: “Jonathan is an experienced player who has played in the Bundesliga for a long time. I don’t know how many years he has been here but it’s definitely a lot, because he was playing in the Bundesliga while I was still in France. He has a lot of experience and he communicates with everybody. We're also able to communicate in French, German, or English, so we're very international. I can learn a lot from a player as good as Jonathan Tah.”
Bundesliga: Also standing behind you is one of the world's best in Manuel Neuer. What makes his game so special and how much support does it give to know that you have such a safety net behind you?
Upamecano: “Manuel is a legend known across the world, not just in Germany. I watched him when I was young and now I'm very grateful that I'm able to play with him. He's a great player. And when you have Manuel behind you, it gives you lot of confidence.”
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Bundesliga: In your current form, you are once again a serious contender for the treble. What will it take to bring it all back to Munich for the first time since 2020?
Upamecano: “This is what we want, but we're taking it all one game at a time. Of course, we want to win a lot of titles this season and we'll give everything on the pitch to do so. But we're focusing on the next game against Eintracht Frankfurt, and then we'll take every game as it comes. It's important that we do that.”
Bundesliga: With Der Klassiker looming on Matchday 24, you haven't kept a clean sheet against Borussia Dortmund since 2023. What makes playing against Dortmund so difficult and what will it take in two weeks’ time to keep them out?
Upamecano: “Dortmund always have a great team from front to back, and they're playing consistently this season. I always want to keep a clean sheet, but the most important thing is the three points. I always want to win for my team and for the fans. If we keep a clean sheet and win 2-0, then that would be perfect and a real bonus.”
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