MUNICH: In a surprise move, Bayern Munich named Vincent Kompany as their new manager on a deal until June 2027 after the Belgian parted ways with Burnley on Wednesday following their relegation from the Premier League.
“We understand the allure and prestige of a club like Bayern Munich and respect Vincent’s ambition to explore new opportunities,” Burnley said in a statement.
Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said: “We all at the club agree that Vincent Kompany is the right coach for FC Bayern and are very much looking forward to working with him.”
Bayern, Bundesliga champions in the previous 11 seasons, finished third behind Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart. They were also unable to win domestic or European silverware for the first time in more than a decade, leading to the departure of coach Thomas Tuchel, which was announced in February.
The arrival of Kompany ends a months-long search for the successor of Tuchel, with several potential candidates deciding to remain in their current jobs.
Bayern explored several candidates for the vacant managerial role including Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso, former coach Julian Nagelsmann and Austrian Ralf Rangnick prior to appointing Kompany.
“I look forward to this challenge at Bayern,” Kompany said. “It is an honour to work for this club. Bayern are an institution in international football. As a coach you have to just like your personality. I love having possession, being creative, and we also have to be aggressive and courageous on the pitch.”
In his short managerial career, Kompany, who played 360 matches in all competitions for Manchester City and won four Premier League titles, has garnered a reputation for playing free-flowing and possession-based football.
He began his coaching career at Belgian club Anderlecht and spent two seasons there before joining Burnley in 2022, where his approach worked a treat in the second-tier Championship as the Lancashire club secured promotion with seven games to spare.
However, Burnley’s insistence on sticking to that style against teams of a higher calibre in the Premier League meant they found it hard going in the top-flight and were relegated after finishing 19th with 24 points and just five wins.
But Kompany retained the backing of his old coach at City Pep Guardiola, who advised his former club to go for the Belgian.
Bayern will hope that Kompany’s attacking philosophy can be more effectively employed with the quality of players in the Bavarian club’s squad.
“Vincent Kompany is the type of coach who fits in very well with FC Bayern’s playing philosophy and identity,” said sporting director Christoph Freund.
“He’s a young, very ambitious coach with a lot of international experience. He his finger on the pulse when it comes to the players and knows exactly what needs to happen on the pitch. He can and will give our team an enormous amount.”
Kompany has Bundesliga experience, having played at Hamburg for two seasons early in his playing career and his ability to speak German was seen as a major benefit for the Bayern board.
Burnley will reportedly receive 10 million ($13 million) in compensation for allowing their manager to leave.
Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2024
