Jan-Christian Dreesen: “Young players are the soul of Bayern Munich”
Bayern Munich’s record-breaking 2025/26 campaign ended with another Bundesliga title, and CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen believes there is even more to come from Vincent Kompany’s side.
In an interview with the Bundesliga, Dreesen was quick to acknowledge that Bayern's accomplishments were made possible by the brilliant leadership of Kompany, who “knows how to get on well with every player in this team, who has given this team a whole new spirit and brought back that enjoyment of the game.”
It’s hard to disagree with Dreesen given the team’s consistency in 2025/26, in which they have also reached the DFB Cup final.
Bayern not only topped the Bundesliga scoring charts by some distance, they also took the most shots (635) and had the highest average amount of possession (62 per cent), putting on masterclass after masterclass in attacking football on their way to the title.
Watch: Bayern Munich lift the 2025/26 Meisterschale!
Having established a new single-season best mark for goals scored (122), Dreesen has high hopes for what this current crop of stars can achieve in the near future.
“They’re constantly smashing records. But the records are just one thing and will remain among the stats forever, but the much more important thing is that this team excites the fans and that they enjoy coming to watch in the stadium or on TV. And when I look at that in context, I think we now have a team again that can shape an era.”
That includes scoring sensation Harry Kane and wing wizards Michael Olise and Luis Díaz, who have had fans across the world, not just the Bundesliga, on the edge of their seats throughout the campaign as they formed one of the continent's deadliest attacking trios.
Watch: Kane nets final day hat-trick
Across all competitions the triumvirate had a combined 106 goal contributions, leading the charge as Bayern challenged on European and domestic fronts.
Olise and Díaz’s world class wing play was reminiscent of a former Bayern duo, as Dreesen remembers fondly: “With Michael Olise on one side and Luis Díaz on the other, you have a bit of our old wing duo Robbery [Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben] again. People say that a lot nowadays.”
At the top of that attacking trident is Kane, who appears to have found yet another level to his game in Bavaria. “He doesn’t just score goals but is also a benchmark for the team with his discipline,” highlighted Dreesen. “He’s definitely taken his game to another level with us.”
Watch: Olise & Díaz emulating Robbery
Every squad needs a strong supporting cast though, of which Bayern’s has had a particularly youthful look this season.
Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof, two of Bayern’s prominent young stars, more than played their part in the side’s journey to Bundesliga glory, with Karl even earning a call-up to Germany’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad at the tender age of 18. Bischof (20), meanwhile, proved his worth by appearing at both midfield and at left-back throughout Bayern’s busy schedule.
“I think that’s our key to success for the future,” said Dreesen on the promising duo. “At the end of the day, we need stars but also the young talent we develop within our club. They’re the soul of the club.”
It was a successful season for Bayern’s youth development, with Wisdom Mike (17), Deniz Ofli (19), David Santos Daiber (19), Cassiano Kiala (17), Filip Pavić (16), Maycon Douglas Cardozo (17) and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye (18) all making their first-team debuts at some point in the campaign.
While their journeys to the heights of senior professional football underline the depth and variety of talent Bayern have in their ranks, praise once again is due for the work of Bayern’s Belgian mastermind.
“Vincent Kompany took that risk [with young players]. The only coach before him who probably took that risk was Louis van Gaal, who gave minutes to [Thomas] Müller, [Holger] Badstuber, [David] Alaba and [Bastian] Schweinsteiger many years ago.”
The only dampener on the season was Bayern's UEFA Champions League semi-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain. And Dreesen is determined to make amends next term.
“That’s why we work here," he said. "That’s what drives me. We obviously want to win the Champions League again. We’re not shy about saying that. We were so close this year but unfortunately didn’t manage it.”
