Vincent Kompany on the Bundesliga's rising talents and Bayern Munich's success
The Bundesliga has become world-renowned for its conveyor belt of talent, and with Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl and Cologne’s Saïd El Mala the league’s latest rising stars, Vincent Kompany believes that the next generation of talent hails from Germany’s top flight.
Having already secured the Bundesliga title in record-breaking fashion, Harry Kane and Luis Díaz struck against Bayer Leverkusen to secure Bayern a first DFB Cup final in six years, but it was Wednesday’s clash which saw VfB Stuttgart secure back-to-back finals, overcoming Freiburg in dramatic fashion, that caught the Belgian’s eye.
“If you watched Freiburg against Stuttgart, you saw the quality of the Bundesliga,” Kompany said ahead of Bayern’s trip to Mainz. “England has bought a lot of quality, but when you see the cup semi-final, the next generation of top talent is right here in Germany.”
Watch: Sky's the limit for these rising stars
Alongside Karl, Wisdom Mike, David Santos Daiber, Cassiano Kiala, Felipe Chávez, Maycon Cardozo, Erblin Osmani, Bara Sapoko Ndiaye and Deniz Ofli have each made their Bundesliga debut under Kompany this term, in addition to Union Berlin’s Linus Güther – who became the division’s second-youngest player – and Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Wael Mohya.
With Bayern’s 35th German title (and 34th Bundesliga crown) wrapped up, Kompany lauded his squad, who have plundered a record 109 goals and conceded only 29 – the best of any team this season – after 30 matchdays. “Having success here isn’t easy,” he said.
“It’s fun working in this group but also in this league, because football in Germany is attractive. It looks easier than it is, but it takes a lot of energy, so we can be proud.”
Watch: The best of Bayern's title celebrations
With a potential treble on the cards, Germany’s record champions travel to Mainz on Saturday before facing Paris Saint-Germain in France in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final. After dispatching Leverkusen, Kompany’s charges face Stuttgart in the DFB Cup final on 23 May, one week before a potential European final.
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