What you need to know about Vincent Kompany - The new Bayern Munich Manager

Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany, a former professional player, is currently the head coach of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Renowned for his role as a centre-back, Kompany spent eleven seasons at Manchester City, where he captained the team for eight years. He also represented Belgium internationally for fifteen years, serving as captain for seven of those years.

Kompany began his professional career at Anderlecht, coming through their youth system and playing three seasons with the first team before moving to Bundesliga club Hamburg in 2006. In 2008, he transferred to English Premier League side Manchester City.

In the 2011-12 season, Kompany was named captain of Manchester City and led the team to their first league title in 44 years. His stellar performances earned him a spot in the Premier League Team of the Year in both 2011 and 2012.

Internationally, Kompany earned 89 caps for Belgium, making his debut in 2004 at the age of 17. He participated in the 2008 Olympics, where Belgium finished fourth, and played in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, achieving a third-place finish in the latter. He captained the national team starting in 2010.

On August 17, 2020, Kompany retired from professional football and was announced as the head coach of Anderlecht, signing a four-year contract. Under his leadership, Anderlecht qualified for the play-offs and secured a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

On June 14, 2022, Kompany was appointed manager of EFL Championship club Burnley. He received the Manager of the Month award for February 2023 after securing 14 points from six matches. Burnley achieved promotion to the Premier League with seven matches remaining, following a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough on April 7, 2023.

Kompany's Premier League managerial debut with Burnley took place on August 11, 2023, in a match against reigning champions Manchester City, where his team lost 3-0 at home.

On May 29, 2024, the 38-year-old Kompany was appointed as the head coach of Bayern Munich, signing a three-year contract with the Bundesliga club until 2027.

“It’s a great honour to be able to work for this club. FC Bayern is an institution in international football,” Kompany said after signing the deal with Bayern. “As coach, you have to stand for who you are as a person: I love having possession of the ball, being creative, and we also have to be aggressive on the pitch and brave.”

“I’m now looking forward to the most basic things: working with the players, building a team. When the foundation is in place, success will follow,” he added.