Possession, distance covered, pass completion rate – Bayern Munich’s best form can be demonstrated through various statistics. But one element of success is harder to measure: team chemistry. The secret superpower under Kompany. Bayern Munich Magazine 51 asked our players how their spirits have become so strong and what they can now achieve together.
Team spirit is a fleeting phenomenon; it’s hard to define, and sometimes it disappears momentarily and then suddenly is fully present again. Take Leipzig’s 18th game as an example: Bayern trailed 1-0 at halftime and ended the game easily. But after the break, Vincent Kompany’s side once again showed what has made them special this season: they ran, fought, tackled and worked themselves into a frenzy. A 0-1 deficit quickly turned into a 4-1 lead. Bayern looks like a machine, one cog meshing with another. At the same time, it’s like a group of good friends who play together, get to know each other, want each other to succeed, and support each other. In short: a real team.
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A large body of sports science research shows that good teamwork has a positive impact on performance. This makes sense. But what does this mean? How does good team spirit come about? We asked some Bayern players who play different roles in the team: leader, nonstop runner, stalwart, newcomer and rehabber. But they all feel that something special is coming together at Bayern Munich and growing. Listening to them, we came up with six reasons for perfect team chemistry.
Sepp Herberger’s mantra “You have to be 11 friends” has been around for over 70 years. Being a footballer is a job, and a very demanding one at that, requiring detailed training plans, marketing campaigns and long trips abroad. Sitting around late at night pondering the philosophy of God and the world? This is tricky. However, even in modern football, it is important not to think of it just as a job. Clearly, good relationships between players still have a positive impact on sporting performance.
Serge Gnabry: “I love coming to Säbener Straße every day. During my eight years here I have developed not only sporting relationships but also real friendships within the team and staff.”
Hiroki Ito: “The atmosphere is relaxed and good. Music plays a big role too. There’s always a variety of DJs in the team before games or on the training pitch, with lots of different styles and tastes. It’s a lot of fun.”
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Conrad Rymer: “There are players who do things together off the field but there is no pressure. Everyone is different and everyone needs different things. The most important thing is that everyone feels comfortable in their role. That seems to be the case at the moment.”
Harry Kane: “We already played very good football last year and won the league, but it’s still the first year as coach. This season you’ll notice the team has grown. The players understand each other and the process better and feel more comfortable with their positions and movements.”
Bayern Munich’s squad consists of 23 players, fewer than all other Bundesliga teams. Before the season started, some analysts questioned whether it would be enough to compete in the league, cup and Champions League. Six months later, we can safely say: yes, enough is enough. In fact, this seems to be an advantage. The smaller the group, the stronger the connections—a correlation demonstrated by Canadian sports psychologist Albert Carron back in 1990 in a study of basketball teams of different sizes. Incidentally, other top European clubs such as Barcelona (23) and Paris Saint-Germain (24) have also opted for smaller teams.
Conrad Rymer: “I don’t think we have a small squad. We have two players at almost every position – you don’t need more.”
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Hiroki Ito: “When a team is big, there are going to be cliques, or intense competition for individual spots. With the set-up we have, it’s manageable; everyone knows everyone very well. It also helps new players like me settle in quicker.”
Manuel Neuer: “Because of that, you don’t have to look after any pure team players because they might be unhappy.”
Conrad Rymer: “Everyone has this feeling that if you put in the effort and play well, you’re going to get your chance. Ultimately everyone needs it.”
English, German, French, Dutch – Bayern coach Vincent Kompany is fluent in four languages. But no matter which one he said, one thing always remained the same: He never criticized his players publicly or in front of the team. If there was anything that needed clarification, he addressed it clearly and respectfully during a one-on-one conversation. This attitude of appreciation seems to have spread to the entire team and connects everyone together.
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Manuel Neuer: “When I turned pro, the hierarchy was much clearer. Over the years, it has become a popular approach to distribute responsibilities to multiple people.”
Hiroki Ito: “We come from different cultures – I’m from Japan, others are from Africa or Europe. This diversity is a positive thing, but it only works when you respect each other. For me, that’s the basis of everything.”
Manuel Neuer: “It’s important, especially the young players, to feel good. It’s the job of senior players like me to ask for their opinions and integrate them quickly. They should be able to express themselves and be brave and confident. You can see that Lennart Carr benefits everyone in the end.”
Conrad Rymer: “But that doesn’t mean things on the pitch can’t have a bit of a stir from time to time. It’s part of football. The key is not to take it too far. It’s important that we can discuss controversial topics normally in the dressing room.”
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Hiroki Ito’s recurrent metatarsal fracture, Alphonso Davies’ torn cruciate ligament and Jamal Musiala’s leg fracture – three key Bayern players have suffered long-term injuries at the start of the season. Multiple studies have proven that sharing painful experiences can lead to greater unity. For example, a team of researchers led by Australian psychologist Bastian Brock came to this conclusion after asking students to complete various painful tasks, such as placing their hands in ice-cold water or eating very hot peppers. These experiments may not be directly related to football and Bayern Munich, but it is clear that the Bayern Munich team has grown closer after going through painful moments and overcame them together.
Hiroki Ito: “The period after I broke my second metatarsal was a difficult time. Thankfully, I had Fonzi and Jamal, and I saw them every morning at the club center for rehab. We spent a lot of time together, eating together, sharing ideas, and going to the stadium for home games. The coach also gave us a lot of support. One of the things he often repeated was: ‘We have one more day to go.'” Every day brings you one step closer to comeback. “
Conrad Rymer: “When a guy is injured for a long time and comes back, everyone is happy for him. That’s the case with Hiroki, the same with Phonzy and Jamal. Everyone knows how bad it is when you’re not feeling well and can’t do the things you love.”
Hiroki Ito: “I always felt like I was part of the team – even though I couldn’t be on the pitch. That connection never broke.”
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To be successful as a team, it’s not enough for the players to get along. You also need a common goal that connects them. This is why in studies of team dynamics, “task cohesion” is analyzed together with “social cohesion.” At Bayern, the goal is clear. Anyone who plays for a record championship wants to win every game and every game. it’s over. However, Kompany has also managed to communicate to his players the way to achieve this: through hard work on and off the pitch. Even our centre-forward Harry Kane was able to make tackles from his own corner flag.
Conrad Rymer: “The coaches and staff are constantly asking us to work harder. Everybody on the field is living off that right now.”
Hiroki Ito: “Our performance reminded me of the Japanese mentality: we respect each other, play for each other and give everything for the club. I feel this not only in the games but in every training.”
6-0, 3-2, 3-2, 5-0, 3-1, 4-1, 4-0, 5-1, 3-0, 2-1 – Bayern has started the season with 10 consecutive wins, some of them by big margins and at a high level. Psychologists Brian Mullen and Carolyn Copper demonstrated as early as 1994 that winning increases team cohesion in sports. Bayern seem to find themselves in a self-reinforcing spiral this season: every win contributes to the team’s chemistry and thus increases its chances of winning. Even when things didn’t go well, the management and players remained steadfast. “We don’t need to question everything now but accept that today is not our day,” Kompany said after our long run in the Bundesliga came to an end with a 2-1 defeat at Augsburg. frustration? panic? Blame game? None of this is heard. Where will this lead?
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Harry Kane: “When you start running, the momentum builds. Then you feel almost unbeatable.”
Hiroki Ito: “We won a lot of games in the Bundesliga but then lost to Augsburg and drew with Hamburg. That happens. The important thing is that we stay calm and keep doing what we’ve been doing – with the same attitude and team spirit.”
Serge Gnabry: “Even in critical moments, we stay calm, more united and focused on our performance. I certainly see similarities with the 2020 Treble-winning team, although it’s too early to tell. But in my opinion, the current atmosphere in the team is the best since then.”
The article is taken from the March edition of FC Bayern’s membership magazine “51” – here is an abridged version.
