According to Sport Bild, the policy traces back to a private meeting between Kompany and honorary president Uli Hoeneß before the season began, in which both men agreed that more young players from the Bayern campus should be integrated into the first team. Previous coaches had been given the same mandate but failed to act on it. Kompany has delivered.
The standout success has been 18-year-old attacking midfielder Lennart Karl, who has become a genuine first-team regular in a season that has already produced moments of history. Karl scored against Club Brugge in October to become Bayern's youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer at 17 years and 242 days, overtaking Jamal Musiala's record.
He has since earned a first senior Germany call-up and made his international debut against Switzerland in March. In nine Bundesliga appearances this season he has contributed two goals and two assists, operating either as a number ten behind Harry Kane or on the right wing.
The others are at earlier stages of their development. Left-back Deniz Ofli, 19, and teenage centre-backs Filip Pavic, 16, and Cassiano Kiala, 17, have each made one appearance. Midfielder David Santos Daiber, 19, winger Maycon Cardozo, 17, and midfielder Felipe Chávez, 18 — currently on loan at 1. FC Köln — have each played twice. Winger Wisdom Mike, 17, has featured five times and continues to show his potential in cameo appearances.
The approach is measured rather than reckless. Bayern are not throwing teenagers into every match, but exposing them carefully to first-team environments and using loan moves to accelerate their development. The model allows the club to retain control of their own prospects while giving them competitive football at the appropriate level.
The backdrop makes this all the more striking. Bayern have already sewn up the Bundesliga title with 73 points from 28 games, reached the DFB-Pokal semi-finals and, after Tuesday's 2-1 first-leg win at Real Madrid, stand one result away from the Champions League semi-finals. Success and sustainability, for once, running side by side.