Bayern Munich Vincent Kompany has emphasised respect and professionalism among journalists and fans as the German champions face semi-amateur club Auckland City in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Bayern Munich are favoured to dominate Group C, which includes Benfica and Boca Juniors, but Kompany is not underestimating Auckland, stating that Bayern must come into the game with a professional approach.
Auckland City, the only amateur team in the tournament, qualified via their OFC Champions League success in 2023. Players had to take holidays from their day jobs to participate in the tournament.
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Despite their record 12 Club World Cup appearances, with a best finish of third in 2014, they face a daunting challenge against Bayern’s professional setup.
Kompany insists on professionalism
“You’re playing against a team that will probably be very compact. It’s important that we show respect. We want to approach the game very seriously and do our job. We will prepare for all games as usual,” Kompany said in a pre-match press conference today.
The match is seen as an opportunity to shake off rust and test squad depth, with Kompany potentially rotating players to preserve energy for tougher group-stage fixtures.
Max Eberl, Bayern’s sporting director, highlighted Kompany’s thorough preparation, stating, “Vincent Kompany has already put a lot of thought into it, and we will have a strong team against Auckland. Auckland is supposedly the easiest opponent, but we will take them just as seriously as the others.”
Kompany’s focus is on maintaining Bayern’s high standards, leveraging their attacking prowess, averaging 2.91 goals per Bundesliga game, while integrating new and returning players like Jamal Musiala and Jonathan Tah.
Auckland City FC captain Mario Ilich expressed excitement mixed with realism, stating that “We all have a dream and that is to win football games, whatever game you’re in. We know the task at hand is very difficult, but we want to just go out and make it as hard as possible for the opposition.”
Auckland City woes
Auckland City FC will be without their first team coach, Paul Posa, who has been away due to personal reasons. His assistants Adria Casals, Daewook Kim and Ivan Vicelich, who were part of the side’s historic third-place finish, have guided the team in Posa’s absence.
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“We’re realistic. We’re up against one of the best teams in the world and favourites to win the tournament. We understand the qualities you need to be able to perform at the very top. The most important thing for us is to give a good account of ourselves and make our supporters proud,” Vicelich said.
Facing Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Boca Juniors, Auckland City is in one of the toughest groups. The team is widely regarded as the ultimate underdog, with media and fans calling them “the underdog of underdogs of underdogs.”
Their squad value is approximately Ksh1.14 billion, dwarfed by Bayern Munich’s Ksh232.2 billion. Their annual revenue is less than 129 million, and the cost of their flights to the U.S. was twice their yearly income.
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