Bayern Munich’s coach, Vincent Kompany, has revealed that his “motivation” for the upcoming clash against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday is that the aspirants to the title “were champions” of the Bundesliga last season, rather than focusing on the fact that Xabi Alonso, who was a target for the Bavarians this summer before Kompany was appointed, is now their coach.

In the pre-match press conference ahead of the top-of-the-table encounter, the Belgian emphasized that “it’s completely normal in this business to have candidates for the position” and that the match at the Allianz Arena does not involve “any kind of ego.”

“I’m here for the team. I’m having a great time here. I work very hard and want to win everything. I enjoy seeing others succeed when they give their best because I know how difficult it is. I want to do my part and I will do everything I can for that. Everything else is not important to me,” he stated.

Ahead of the match between the defending champion and the aspirant for the Bundesliga title, Kompany refrained from confirming whether Manuel Neuer, the team’s goalkeeper and captain, will start, following his absence in the previous match against Werder Bremen due to a knock sustained in the Champions League opener.

“Manu is training. We will make the final decision tomorrow. Hopefully, we can have everyone available and select the best team for the match,” he noted regarding Neuer’s situation.

The Bayern coach highlighted that “it’s good that everyone is excited about the match,” as they will be facing “the best team of the last 12 months.”

“We’re looking forward to the game. It won’t be easy. We want to test ourselves against a good opponent at the Allianz Arena. Bayern is always the favorite. We are eager to play against the champions and we want to win,” he added.

Kompany praised the team’s defensive effort against Werder Bremen, noting that they did not allow “a single chance” and emphasized that they have “scored 20 goals in the last three matches.”

“My job is to show what we can do better. In a match like against Leverkusen, anything is possible. We will prepare the team to perform at their best on Saturday. After that, we will move forward,” the Belgian concluded.