Bayern Munich Begins Pre-Season Under Vincent Kompany

Vincent Kompany blows the whistle on a new season at Säbener Straße. No trophies at stake, no packed Allianz Arena, but the work for 2026/27 starts here.

On day one, it is a stripped-back Bayern group that reports for duty. While the club’s World Cup contingent enjoy a few extra weeks of recovery, a core of first‑teamers is already under Kompany’s command: Sven Ulreich, Tom Bischof, João Palhinha, Bryan Zaragoza, Sacha Boey and Arijon Ibrahimović all available, all under immediate scrutiny.

Around them, another storyline runs quietly in the background. Serge Gnabry, Lennart Karl, David Santos Daiber and Cassiano Kiala are back in the building but not yet back in the grind. Their route is a slower one, carefully managed rehab and gradual reintegration rather than full‑throttle double sessions. Bayern want them ready for the season, not just present for pre‑season.

World Cup stars on a staggered return

The science comes first. Bayern’s opening act is not with the ball but in the lab and on the testing track. Performance diagnostics set the tone, as the bulk of the World Cup players – including the Germany internationals – are booked in for their checks on 27 and 28 July.

From there, the squad will come together in stages. Those tested at the end of July will peel off individually to the training camp at Tegernsee, where Kompany will get his first real chance to stitch together ideas on the grass rather than on a tactics board.

Luis Díaz, Konrad Laimer and Josip Stanišić are pencilled in for the next wave. They will link up with the group before Bayern board the plane for the Audi Summer Tour to Jeju and Hong Kong on 1 August, a commercial and sporting showcase that now sits as a fixed point in the club’s calendar.

The biggest names arrive even later. Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano will not join until Bayern return from Asia. Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, Ismael Saibari, Gnabry and Karl will also rejoin at that stage, but their work will be based in Munich rather than on the road. Kompany’s full deck, then, will only really be on the table once the tour dust has settled.

Tegernsee, open doors and the first friendly

Before the long‑haul flights and the global spotlight, there is Tegernsee. From 27 to 30 July, Bayern retreat to the lakeside camp that has become a familiar summer base. The setting is idyllic; the schedule is not.

Every afternoon at 15:30 CEST, the sessions will be thrown open to the public. Supporters will get their first live glimpse of Kompany at work in Bayern colours, his drills, his demands, his early combinations. For some youngsters and fringe players, these four days could shape their entire season.

The camp closes with a tradition. On 30 July, Bayern face FC Rottach-Egern in a friendly that has long since become part fitness test, part festival. The game will once again be shown via a free live stream on the club’s official channels, a low‑key fixture that still offers a first look at the team’s physical state and tactical hints.

No silverware, no drama, but no time to waste. For Kompany and Bayern, the road to 2026/27 starts in test rooms, on training pitches, and beside a quiet Bavarian lake – long before the real noise begins.