FC Bayern's press conference on Friday ahead of the Bundesliga game against FC Augsburg was almost over when coach Vincent Kompany was asked about Tom Bischof. The 21-year-old all-rounder had recently turned in strong displays for Germany alongside his Munich team-mate Aleksandar Pavlovic. Could that affect his standing at FC Bayern? In Munich, Bischof has featured only sporadically in the still young season, playing just 205 of a possible 630 minutes. At FC Bayern, Joshua Kimmich and Pavlovic usually make up the double pivot.
Kompany then launched into a monologue that lasted around three and a half minutes and took in a few curious detours. He first described Bischof's game time at such an early stage of the season as "not abnormal" before adding: "For my starting XI decisions, the national team plays no role. I'm absolutely delighted when the players come back with a good feeling. That's a factor I take with me because I want players to have a good feeling."
He also had advice for players who returned from international duty disappointed. "They can leave that behind them and come back with the feeling they had after the last game at Bayern: 7-0 at home, where they all played outstandingly." Immediately before the international break, FC Bayern had run riot against Union Berlin.
Vincent Kompany recalls his experiences as a player at HSV
Looking back on his own playing days, Kompany said he had first needed to learn how to shut out the occasional setback with the national team. "I didn't always have success with the Belgium national team. I still remember quite well when we were ranked 70th or 80th in the world during my time at HSV," Kompany said, joking to general laughter in the direction of sporting director Christoph Freund, who was sitting next to him: "Almost like Austria a few years ago."
During that bleak period for Belgian football, "I was one of the top players in my team, went to the national team, then we lost 2-0 or 3-0 in Kazakhstan, Armenia or Azerbaijan. Then you come back with such a bad feeling. Then you've got the Dutch there. Rafael van der Vaart and Nigel de Jong (his team-mates at Hamburger SV at the time, editor's note) were sitting in their Jacuzzi and asked: 'What was wrong with Belgium?' Then of course the Germans as well. So you always have a negative feeling. But then I learned that you just have to come back with a good feeling."
IMAGOVincent Kompany speculates: "Kimmich is behind your thoughts"
Eventually, Kompany made clear why he had gone the long way round. "Now to your question about Bischof and Kimmich, because he's behind your thoughts, even though you didn't say the name," Kompany speculated in the direction of the reporter. He apparently avoided lavish praise for Bischof because he already suspected it could, by implication, be used against Kimmich.
By way of reminder: Kimmich disappointed for Germany in the defeat against Greece, then had to leave as planned afterwards, against his publicly stated wishes, as part of Jürgen Klopp's squad changes, and then had to watch as Bischof and Pavlovic shone. The result was major debate over Kimmich's standing in the national team.
With that monologue, Kompany was indirectly telling Kimmich to use his strong performances in the still young season for FC Bayern as his guide. At the same time, he underlined that those displays remain the benchmark for his decisions at FC Bayern. "What's important," Kompany explained, "is that I haven't forgotten who played against Union Berlin and how well they played. I haven't forgotten who played against Bodö/Glimt and how well they played. I haven't forgotten who played against Dortmund in the Supercup and against Stuttgart." Always involved and usually convincing: Joshua Kimmich.