Palhinha: The man for the rough stuff in the engine room at FC Bayern

München – You need patience as a passenger. Frugality and comfort. The vehicle impresses with its durability and endurance.

Tram line 28 squeaks and rattles its way through the narrow streets and alleys of Lisbon. The cheerful yellow of the line is its trademark and a trip on the 28 between the old town district (Bairro Alto) and the castle, the Castelo de São Jorge, is a nostalgic experience for the thousands upon thousands of tourists in Portugal’s capital.

Palhinha at FC Bayern: consistency, endurance, patience, frugality

Little João, born in Lisbon, played for local clubs during his childhood and youth UD Alta de Lisboa and SG Sacavenense and played the big, wide world with the 28 in the face of the foreign crowds. Finally arriving at FC Bayern this summer, the signing, for whom the Munich team transferred over 50 million euros to FC Fulham, had to learn what it takes at Säbener Straße: consistency, perseverance. But also patience and frugality. As well as in the spirit of Bavarian culture: cosiness.

João Maria Lobo Alves Palhinha Gonçalves, so sein voller wie klangvoller Name, war im Sommer 2023 The dream player of the then Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, who wanted an organizing hand for his midfield, a – mainly – defensive-minded player: the “holding six”. The six that doesn’t move around the front of the opponent’s penalty area like Joshua Kimmich in Tuchel’s eyes.

Palhinha should be the solid man for the rough in the engine room. Where it squeaks and rattles. And sometimes when the Portuguese unpacks the tackle he loves so much or closes the passing path for the opponent when he slides in for a tackle.

Palhinha: Joined FC Bayern late – no comfort for the time being

But at that time, FC Fulham, who had been relinquished, got in the way. Shortly before the end of the summer transfer window, the British had not found a replacement for the tackle machine, who was already in Munich with a flocked jersey, and stopped the deal with Bayern at the last second. To stay with the picture: Palhinha had to get off the Säbener tram before it left.

So a year later we went on a big journey. With another conductor. Vincent Kompany received the trust of the bosses and Tuchel’s desired player had already been signed. And the new Bayern coach shifted the tracks and the structure of his team. Kimmich moved from the right-back position back to the center, alongside him Bayern’s homegrown Aleksandar Pavlovic (20) secured a regular place thanks to strong preparation and consistency in the first games. Kompany doesn’t need a “holding six”, with him the central midfielders have to act fluidly and find their way in different positions and spaces during the game: Kimmich (29) as a tilting right-back and Pavlovic sometimes as an eighth, sometimes as a tenth.

Bayern boss Eberl about Palhinha: “Humble and down-to-earth”

Palhinha initially sat on the bench a lot. Because of coziness! But the 29-year-old remained patient, never said a bad word, waited for his chance and his playing time. In the 4-0 win against VfB Stuttgart in mid-October, Pavlovic had an accident and broke his collarbone. Since then, Palhinha has been placed in midfield. And carries out his role in his own way: hard-working, strong. Not spectacular, but reliable. According to sports director Max Eberl, Palhinha is “a team player” because he is “humble and down-to-earth”. An important piece of the puzzle for every team. The lubricating oil so that the Bayern tram can get through well on the way to the highest destinations.

In 2012, at the age of 17, Palhinha joined Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy, quickly became a professional and stayed until 2022. So Bayern’s Champions League duel against big city rivals Benfica (9 p.m., DAZN and in the AZ live ticker) is “a special game” for him. After all, his family are “more Benfica fans.” He is said to have asked his teammates to hand over cards from their quota (each player receives four tickets per game). For his big evening.