Vincent Kompany: Can ‘left-field’ managerial choice restore Bayern Munich glories

Author: BBC Sport

Getty ImagesShamoon HafezBBC Sport football news reporter

• 29 May 2024

Vincent Kompany is the new Bayern Munich head coach – you have to almost say it out loud to believe it.

The Bundesliga giants have finally completed their well-publicised search for Thomas Tuchel’s successor after a hunt that began at Bayer Leverkusen and ended in Burnley.

Kompany knows he was way down the scale for the role, but now has the task of restoring a fallen European giant to its former glories.

This, no doubt, will be one of the most sensational stories of the summer, leaving the footballing fraternity flabbergasted at how a manager who was relegated from the Premier League was able to pick up one of the most prestigious jobs in the sport.

‘Most beautiful girl in town’ walks out on Burnley

Despite a season of struggle and immediate return to the Championship with only five league wins all season, Burnley were making plans on being back in the top flight with Kompany at the helm.

Before their 2-1 home defeat by Nottingham Forest in their final game, chairman Alan Pace wrote in the matchday programme about the “project” under the Belgian and having “full faith” in a talented young coach’s leadership.

Pace and senior figures at the club have always been adamant that 38-year-old Kompany is the right man, providing him with £100m to spend on summer signings of his choosing and then backing him when results weren’t going their way.

After clinching promotion by cantering to the Championship title with 101 points in his first season, Pace was in awe and described having the former Manchester City captain in charge was like “dating the most beautiful girl in town”.

Nathan Rogers, host of the Turfcast fan channel, told BBC Sport: “I think Alan will be feeling embarrassed. He sang the praises of Kompany and was ‘Kompany in’, no matter how he performed. As an owner, he should taken a more professional approach to public comments around his admiration towards him.

“It felt like Alan was lucky to have Kompany in the same room as him, let alone employing him. That might have enabled Kompany to get away with more than he has done because managers have got sacked for less in this game.”

Last Monday, Burnley’s world was turned upside down.

Reports emerged Kompany was now a shock name on the shortlist for the Bayern job and their number one choice.

By Wednesday it became clear a move back to Germany – where he played in the Bundesliga for Hamburg before joining Manchester City in 2008 – was a matter of when, not if, and left supporters reeling as the two clubs discussed compensation terms.

Nobody can begrudge Kompany a huge opportunity like this but there is a feeling he jumped at the first chance he got, having said earlier in the month “we stick together” and talked about bringing “the good times back”.

Rogers added: “It does feel like he has let us down. It is understandable you take the Bayern job because they don’t come up very often but after season we have had, it feels like a kick in the teeth. He has abandoned us only 24 hours after the final whistle with the first phone call he has had.

“Kompany swept us away with the new style of play and there was an immediate connection after his first game, we fell in love with each other. He was passionate in front of the fans and when it wasn’t going well this season we repaid him with unwavering support. Now him leaving us feels disappointing.”

The club will now look to finding a replacement and BBC Sport understands ex-Chelsea and Everton boss Frank Lampard would be interested in filling the vacancy.

Pep positive about ‘real left-field shout’

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Bayern’s own search for their new head coach has been farcical.

Prime target Xabi Alonso decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen, while Julian Nagelsmann, Hansi Flick, Ralf Rangnick and Zinedine Zidane all turned down the job.

Bayern were also unsuccessful in their attempts to persuade Tuchel to stay and looked to the Premier League in Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, as well as having eyes on Manchester United’s beleaguered boss Erik ten Hag and former Brighton coach Roberto de Zerbi.

Eventually, they opted for Kompany, overlooking his dismal season at Turf Moor and being enticed by the modern and progressive football played by his Burnley and Anderlecht teams.

“It’s a real left-field shout,” European football expert Andy Brassell told BBC Sport. “Kompany has been coveted for a while by various European clubs, but the big question is why has Bayern Munich become such an unattractive job? He’s probably eighth, ninth choice for it.”

Bayern missed out on winning the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012 – one season without a trophy is a disaster, two would be seen as a total catastrophe.

Kompany had it relatively comfortable in front of a handful of journalists for pre-match news conferences in the sanctuary of Burnley’s training ground on the banks of the River Calder, where he spoke about being a “zen master” with his cool demeanour.

Now he will need all that confidence as he takes on a totally different beast, with the glare of the world upon him as Bayern look to wrestle the Bundesliga crown back from Leverkusen and aim to add to their six European Cups.

The dressing room egos will be in complete contrast too as he seeks to command the respect of figures such as England skipper Harry Kane, and revered German trio Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich.

“Bayern and Pep [Guardiola] talked about what could be the ideal coach,” Guillem Balague said on the Euro Leagues podcast. “Kompany’s name came up and the report from Pep couldn’t have been more positive.”

Bayern sporting directors Max Eberl and Christoph Freund have taken a punt by staking their reputations on Kompany improving the club’s fortunes.

Now it’s time for the Belgian to show them – and the rest of Europe – he was worth the gamble.

Related Topics

• Bayern Munich
• Burnley
• German Bundesliga
• Football