Vincent Kompany has expressed his enthusiasm and commitment after being unveiled as the new manager of Bayern Munich, stating that the club "already feels like home." The Belgian, 38, signed a three-year deal with the German Bundesliga giants on Wednesday, replacing Thomas Tuchel.
Kompany's appointment comes after a challenging season where he experienced relegation from the Premier League with Burnley in 2023-24. Despite this setback, Kompany maintains a positive outlook on his new role at Bayern.
"My mentality is that I never haven’t ever worked for a top club in my head," Kompany said during his unveiling. "A top club is the environment you create. It’s the mentality you have towards your job in good and bad times, that’s what defines working at the top level. It already feels like home."
Kompany began his managerial career with Anderlecht, the club where he also started his playing career. He led Anderlecht to the Belgian Cup final in the 2021-22 season before moving to Burnley. In his first season at Burnley, Kompany guided the Clarets to the Championship title with 101 points, securing promotion to the Premier League. However, he was unable to avoid an immediate return to the second tier as Burnley finished 19th last term.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, finished third in the Bundesliga last season, ending their streak of 11 successive titles and falling 18 points short of champions Bayer Leverkusen. The Bavarian club also ended the campaign without a trophy for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
Despite the challenges, Kompany remains optimistic and driven. "I’m eternally motivated," he said. "I wake up from the morning to the evening motivated with the intention to make everyone around me better. I’m not defined by the successful years in my life, it’s the moments I had tough times. I don’t want to be successful on my own; I want to bring as many people with me, that’s in my nature."
As Kompany takes the helm at Bayern Munich, fans and pundits alike will be watching closely to see how he navigates this new chapter in his managerial career.
