Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman ready to show Paris-Saint Germain what they missed
At just 16 years, eight months and four days old, Kingsley Coman came off the bench for Paris-Saint Germain against Sochaux for his professional debut. His manager that day? Carlo Ancelotti. Now the same coach will take him back to his city of birth, as a first-team regular with Bayern Munich.
“It’s a great pleasure to return to Paris,” said Coman on his first game back in the French capital since his departure. “I didn’t have the opportunity to play a lot in the stadium, and the atmosphere there is something special for every Parisian.”
The French international made only four appearances for his boyhood club before Juventus came calling. He needed next to no time in Turin before impressing enough that Bundesliga champions Bayern snapped up the winger.
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Now, 69 appearances into his career in Germany, Coman appears to have found his home. In a squad bounteous with world-class talent, he has proven himself to be a consistently reliable outlet for first Pep Guardiola, and now Ancelotti, but even for a young star trying to set his stall in Munich, team comes first.
“I hope we win, that’s the most important thing, whether or not I play, we will see. Of course I’d be happy to play, but what’s more important is getting the right result.”
Coman has played in all six of Bayern’s Bundesliga fixtures so far this season, starting three of the matches. He only played four minutes of the dramatic draw with Wolfsburg on Friday, in which Bayern let a two-goal lead slip in the Bundesliga for the first time since 2011.
“We aren’t worried, that doesn’t just happen to us,” explained Coman. “Better that it happened on Friday than on Wednesday. We take it as a small wake-up call, which will only make us more concentrated.
“It is easier to play against PSG than Wolfsburg, where we are favourites to win and our opponents sit back defensively.”
Watch: Kingsley Coman recorded the seventh fastest time of any Bundesliga player!
For Bayern, taking on the best of the best both domestically and continentally is the pinnacle, and the same goes for each of their players. The prospect of facing the likes of Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and former Schalke and Wolfsburg star Julian Draxler brings out the best in players.
“On Wednesday, two teams will be playing attacking football, and it will fit better for us from a tactical and motivational level.”
Even with the obvious excitement around the size of a match involving Bayern and PSG, the game will be that little be more special for Coman. The diamond born in Paris, being raised in Munich, returning home to glisten in the city of lights for one night only.