29 May 2024 , 15:04
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Vincent Kompany has been named as the new Bayern Munich boss.
The stunning appointment comes after the German club cast the net far and wide, eventually opting for the Burnley boss who has just suffered relegation from the Premier League.
Bayern have been seeking a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, who opted to leave the club despite late minute talks of a possible u-turn. The Germans, who surrendered their Bundesliga crown this year, have seen a host of their top targets turn down their approaches.
Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick were among those on their radar. They were also linked with ex-Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, but chose to pursue Kompany despite his relatively minor CV to date.
Jan-Christian Dreesen , CEO of FC Bayern: "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. Max Eberl and Christoph Freund never gave up and worked meticulously to find a coach who would lead FC Bayern to success and develop it further with new ideas. Vincent Kompany represents exactly the togetherness and team spirit that we need..."
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The Belgian enjoyed a trophy-laden career as a player with Manchester City and did work for three years under Pep Guardiola, who managed Bayern for three years. Kompany's first role in the dugout was with Anderlecht, before guiding Burnley to Championship promotion in impressive style, but underwhelmed in the top flight.
The Clarets released a statement which read: "We can confirm that Burnley Football Club has come to an agreement that will allow Vincent Kompany to leave Turf Moor.
Kompany guided Burnley to promotion before an immediate return to the Championship followed (Getty Images)"Whilst we were initially confident in retaining our manager, the changing dynamics of the situation made this impossible. We understand the allure and prestige of a club like Bayern Munich and respect Vincent’s ambition to explore new opportunities.
"We wish only the best for Vincent and would like to put on record our appreciation for his dedication every single day he was a part of this football club. Our priority remains the stability and success of Burnley FC, and we will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure that our ambition is realised - namely our return to the Premier League.
"We have started the search for a new manager and will make an announcement in due course."
Bayern finished the 23/24 season without a trophy, despite Harry Kane's goalscoring exploits (FC Bayern via Getty Images)His playing career saw him spend time in Germany with Hamburg before moving to Manchester. The move is likely to see the Allianz Arena bosses cop criticism for what will be viewed as a left-field appointment with Bayern under pressure to respond following a trophyless campaign.
Speaking about his appointment, Kompany said: "I'm looking forward to the challenge of FC Bayern. It's a great honour to be able to work for this club - FC Bayern is an institution in international football.
"As a coach, you have to stand for who you are as a person: I love having the ball, being creative - and we also have to be aggressive on the pitch and courageous. 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."