But for injury, Kingsley Coman might have had a FIFA World Cup winner’s medal around his neck right about now.
Often regarded as one of the most promising young players of his generation, Coman is a quick talented and technically gifted winger with good dribbling skills and vison. He is capable of playing on both flanks too.
The France winger was playing regularly for Bayern Munich last season, until suffering an ankle ligament tear in a Bundesliga match against Hertha Berlin on 24 February 2018. He returned to action in the DFB Cup final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on 19 May, but it wasn’t enough to convince France coach Didier Deschamps to take him to the finals in Russia.
Now back to full fitness, Coman cannot wait for the 2018/19 campaign to get started.
“Of course, on a personal note, I’m hoping to reach the level I was playing at before my injury,” he told SPORTBILD. “We’re working really hard with [new coach Niko Kovac]. He’s disciplined and meticulous. I think we’ve got a good mix of experienced and young players.”
Coman, who is heading into his fourth season as a Bayern player, also admitted that winning the UEFA Champions League is his club’s biggest objective in the coming season. The 15-time France international acknowledged that the competition isn’t getting any easier, but that Bayern – beaten semi-finalists last term – “have no reason to fear anyone.”
The Bayern youngster has an incredible record of having won league titles in every single season he has played as a professional, starting with PSG’s 2012/13 Ligue 1 title. In addition to his six championship winner’s medals and a single cup triumph in France, Italy and Germany, he already has nine major domestic medals.
He has runners-up medals at a UEFA Champions League final and UEFA EURO 2016, and there will surely be many more to come. Not that he is getting carried away. “No, I don’t realise I have played at three big clubs,” Coman explained. “I think it’ll be at the end of my career when I’ll say, ‘Ah yeah, wow, I played at some big clubs.'”
Coman was arrested earlier this year for assaulting his partner over an Instagram post. Meaux Criminal Court fined the winger €5,000 (£4,397) after he pleaded guilty to assaulting the model on 24 and 26 June.
Coman, who reportedly earns £62,000 a week, was also ordered to pay nominal damages of €1 to Ms Goignan, who is the mother of his 18-month-old daughter.
The footballer was reported to have assaulted his former partner after the couple rowed about an Instagram account at her house in Magny-le-Hongre. The model’s injuries left her unable to work for eight days, according to Le Parisien. Ms Goignan told police she had also been threatened by Coman, who was arrested in June.The pair were both present at the sentencing hearing on Thursday morning, when Coman was also ordered to pay Ms Goignan’s legal fees.
However that is all history for the winger who aims to make an impression during Bayern’s Pre season.
The International Champions Cup should provide an useful indicator of where Bayern are currently at, in any case. The record German champions face Coman’s former clubs Paris-Saint Germain (21 July) and Juventus (26 July), before taking on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City (29 July). They also have a pre-season friendly against Manchester United lined up for the 5 August.
Bayern begin their Bundesliga title defence against Hoffenheim on 24 August, but not before meeting Kovac’s previous employers Frankfurt in the Supercup (12 August) and minnows SV Drochtersen/Assel in the first round of the 2018/19 DFB Cup (18 August).
Barring another injury, the Frenchman will most likely cause fireworks in the Bundesliga next season.