Bundesliga
"It hasn't been easy" - João Palhinha
João Palhinha says he is focussed on fighting for his place at Bayern Munich, rather than contemplating a summer move elsewhere.
Palhinha, 30, made 25 competitive appearances, including just nine starts, in 2024/25, after joining Bayern from English club Fulham last summer.
The Portugal international had to contend with fierce competition for places from the likes of Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović and Leon Goretzka, while a muscular injury sidelined him for 11 matches between mid-November 2024 and most of January 2025.
Although he played just once as the record champions reached the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarter-finals in June and July, Palhinha says he is ready to start over ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
"Obviously, it hasn't been an easy year for me, but I'm also very motivated to - as soon as the season starts - prove my worth once again, at a very special club like Bayern, a huge club," the midfielder told Portuguese outlet Sport TV.
Palhinha will hope to prove his value to head coach Vincent Kompany in pre-season friendlies against Lyon, Tottenham Hotspur and Grasshopper Zurich, before the competitive action gets under way with a Franz Beckenbauer Supercup meeting with DFB Cup holders VfB Stuttgart on 16 August.
The Bavarians begin the defence of their Bundesliga title at home to RB Leipzig on 22 August, and also have DFB Cup and UEFA Champions League football on the agenda in the new campaign.
Until then, Palhinha is making the most of some welcome downtime.
"I have a contract with Bayern for another three years, so I'll report back on the 29th [July], which is when we start pre-season," he explained.
"Enjoying these vacation days with family and friends is the most important thing right now."