Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano had wondered if he was ready for playing at such a big club during his first season.
Now, however, the Frenchman feels right at home.
“I’m happy that things are going so well for me. After my first season here, I questioned myself, thought a lot about myself and my performances, and also talked to my family about what I could do better,” Upamecano told Sport1 journalist Kerry Hau (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “I then trained hard during the summer break in France and also worked a lot with a fitness coach. That was important to me because I want to play as much as possible and help the team”
While he has been asserting himself this season, not everything has gone to plan. Bayern Munich’s dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann threw Upamecano — and many of his teammates — for a loop. A dip in performance marred his last six weeks and now a hamstring injury has also kept him out of action of late as well.
“Of course I felt sorry for his dismissal. I texted him directly when I heard about it and thanked him. He was an important coach for me, also in Leipzig, we worked together for almost five years and won a lot together,” said Upamecano. “It’s definitely not a good time for him. But that’s football, we have to look ahead and keep winning our games.”
New manager Thomas Tuchel, however, does speak French, which should make things a little easier for the team’s strong contingent from France.
“Of course, he’s good at French, but his speeches are in German and that’s not a problem for me either, because my German isn’t that bad by now,” Upamecano remarked. “He’s a great coach, we all know that. The first few days with him were very positive, including the win against Dortmund, of course. We have a top team that always wants to win. That’s why we play football.”
