Champions League star working with opera singer to help him on the pitch

On Feb 9, 2023

Bayern Munich sensation Dayot Upamecano hired an opera singer to help him find his voice on the pitch.

The 24-year-old is one of the brightest young defenders in the game, having starred for France at the World Cup in Qatar. But the promising Frenchman endured a tough start to his Bayern career after his £37million move from RB Leipzig in 2021.

Upamecano wasn’t a nailed on starter in his first season and made a collection of howlers at the back after being reunited with his former coach manager Julian Nagelsmann. And the centre-back was not helped by his lack of a voice on the pitch.

German outlet Bild reports Upamecano had issues with his vocal cords during and especially at the end of games. And so he went to extreme lengths to solve the problem, which had often resulted in him suffering from a sore throat post-match.

The youngster made the bold decision to personally employ an opera singer from Leipzig to aid him. The professional is said to have taught him some neat tricks on how to use his vocal chords in a less strenuous way, enabling him to bark instructions louder and for longer on the pitch.

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He sought the help of an opera singer
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“We sang together, he taught me exercises,” Upamecano told Bild. “Now I can shout loudly, I can give instructions all over the pitch.”

His niche solution appears to have paid dividends, with the defender now one of the first names on the team sheet for Bayern. Upamecano featured in every Bundesliga fixture for the German giants this season until Sunday’s win over Wolfsburg, which he was ruled out of with a toe injury.

The Frenchman is one of Bayern’s key players
(Image: Getty Images)

Upamecano also started five of his nation’s seven games in Qatar before Les Blues were eventually beaten on penalties by Argentina in the final. And among those to sing his praises this season is veteran teammate Thomas Muller.

Muller said: “Dayot was great last year too, despite a few mistakes. He loves football, he never gives up.

“I’m glad he took the chance. He showed great performances with us before the World Cup and also at the World Cup, I hope he can keep the momentum.”