Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany responds to Mikel Arteta, implies Premier League teams play too many games

TL;DR

Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich's coach, responded to Mikel Arteta's comments about Premier League teams playing too many games. He highlighted the demanding schedule in England, including 38 league games and no winter break.

Key points

Vincent Kompany is the head coach of Bayern Munich.
Mikel Arteta criticized the quality of Premier League teams.
Kompany highlighted the demanding schedule of the Premier League.

Mentioned in this story

Vincent KompanyMikel Arteta

Bayern MunichArsenalPremier League

PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 28: Vincent Kompany, head coach of FC Bayern Muenchen, at the press conferencen after the team's defeat in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final First Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern München at Parc des Princes on April 28, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images) | FC Bayern via Getty Images After Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain played out a scintillating nine-goal thriller last week, narratives focused on the English Premier League and why teams like Arsenal are unable to produce similar performances every week. Mikel Arteta decided to blame the respective team’s domestic leagues for the gulf in quality. Vincent Kompany has since responded to the comments, speaking with the media ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg. “I don’t want to comment much on that,” the Belgian said initially, when asked about what Arteta said (via @iMiaSanMia). “I played in the Premier League for many years. I don’t think it was meant as a criticism of Bayern or PSG, but rather a discussion.” “In England, you have 38 league games, the league cup, FA Cup, no winter break,” Kompany noted. “It’s not for me to discuss that, but it’s legitimate. Jürgen Klopp spoke about that many times too.” It is a succinct response that does not challenge anything that Arteta said, but provides a different narrative framing to the conversation. The Arsenal coach focused on how PSG and Bayern Munich players had played fewer minutes, but did not address the underlying reason for it. The Gunners have spent many hundreds of millions of euros assembling a squad that can compete for titles — they have no room to cry about unfairness. In the end, it seems that neither Vincent Kompany or Luis Enrique are being swayed by the common narratives surrounding the fixture. Football is played on the pitch, and Kompany seems content to let the ball do the talking. *If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on , , , or any leading podcast distributor…*

Q&A

What did Vincent Kompany say about Mikel Arteta's comments?

Vincent Kompany acknowledged Arteta's remarks but emphasized the demanding schedule of the Premier League, which includes numerous games and no winter break.

How does the Premier League schedule compare to other leagues according to Kompany?

Kompany pointed out that the Premier League has 38 league games, along with the league cup and FA Cup, unlike leagues with fewer matches and winter breaks.

What is the significance of Kompany's response to Arteta's criticism?

Kompany's response reframes the discussion by highlighting the challenges faced by Premier League teams, suggesting that the issue is more complex than Arteta's initial criticism.