Bayern Munich's Josip Stanišić: 'Everyone is thinking about the next title'
Josip Stanišić has now won five consecutive Bundesliga titles following his 2025/26 triumph with Bayern Munich. In the aftermath, he sat down to discuss this latest Meisterschale, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and much more...
Bundesliga: You’ve already experienced a few title celebrations in your career. How would you rate last weekend’s celebrations?
Josip Stanišić: “I would say this is the third most important. My first title was the best one. The second best wasn’t with Bayern, but rather somewhere else. I was able to win it there because nobody saw it coming. The third best is this one right now because we played an unbelievable Bundesliga season.
"We broke so many records and the way we played wasn’t easy. To be so consistent over such a long time and to play our game means it’s just great to then have something in our hands and win the title at the end of the season.”
Bundesliga: You’re currently the player with the most Bundesliga titles won in a row. Is this something you mention to your teammates, or vice versa?
Stanišić: “No, it’s in the past. As soon as we win a title, I think everyone is already thinking about the next one. That’s just how we think and how we approach every game and every year."
Bundesliga: Looking in from the outside, it seemed you had really strong team chemistry this season, which also allowed you to fight back in certain games. What made the group this year so special?
Stanišić: “Everyone had the same goals. Everyone worked for it. We have star players, but they still worked their behinds off on the field. Sometimes, if your star player isn’t running back or fighting for you, then you can be a bit disappointed.
"In this case, there was never a moment this season where our players, no matter who was playing, gave less than 100 percent. For us as a group, this is the most important thing. We can all lose duels and games of course, but at least we gave it everything we had in every game.”
Bundesliga: You personally stepped up your own game this season, especially in attack. How did the role of the full-back change in Vincent Kompany’s system, and how has this affected your game?
Stanišić: “There’s a lot more running. It can be tough sometimes, but still, like you said, for us full-backs it’s great as well, because we play a huge part in the final third. This season, we have an unbelievable record in terms of goals scored, and I know it’s not us full-backs that have scored the majority of the goals.
"Still, the way we play and the way we try to help our attackers and make their lives as easy as possible is why we have scored so many goals. Of course, we all want to score or assist, and that’s always the case, but at the end of the day our goal is to defend. If we can then help the guys up front to score as often as they can, then that’s also a bonus for us."
Bundesliga: Talking of Kompany, what would you say is his strongest characteristic?
Stanišić: “I think he’s a guy who doesn’t do in-betweens. He’s always fully committed no matter who we’re playing, and no matter what day it is. The way he prepares us for the games and the way he analyses every opponent, not just the big clubs and big games, is unbelievable.
Watch: Bayern's title celebrations
"I think he sets the standard for us as a team to not drop off slightly in games where you could say we have a big game coming up, so we’ll drop the intensity a bit and save our fuel for the next match. I think his leadership shows as well. He’s just a great leader of the group and obviously he was captain before, so he knows how to do it. But as a coach, it’s sometimes a bit different."
Bundesliga: Manuel Neuer has extended his contract at Bayern for another year. How important is it to have him behind you?
Stanišić: “It’s extremely important. We all know how great a keeper he is and he’s still one of the best goalkeepers, if not the best goalkeeper, in the world. Also, his presence gives us so much as well because everyone knows who they’re playing against. Sometimes, I think his aura also saves him from conceding a few goals. For us as defenders, we just have the feeling that we’re secure.
"With Jonas Urbig, I think you also saw that he had some great games this season. He made some huge progress, not only with his feet, but also in goal. It’s also the same feeling with him now where you know not every shot on target will result in a goal. To have both of them, as well as Sven Ulreich behind us, is just great. Ulreich played against Bayer Leverkusen and rescued a point for us."
Bundesliga: Finally, how confident are you going into the 2026 World Cup? Croatia set the bar very high in 2022
Stanišić: “We are confident, but we all know that we can’t set standards as high as the last two competitions. We will take it as it comes. From the first until the last second, we will give it everything we have. I’ve said it previously as well – in these tournaments, there are a few situations where you need a bit of luck.
"That’s just how the tournament works. I think we have big players, but we’re still strong as a group individually, so this is maybe the most important thing."
