Undefeated in the Bundesliga and successful in the Champions League: Vincent Kompany ensures an “ideal situation” at FC Bayern. The coach inspires fans and club management with his calm leadership style.
When Vincent Kompany took up his position as Bayern coach in the summer of 2024, many initially laughed at the Belgian, who had previously been relegated from the Premier League with FC Burnley and had no international experience as a coach. At the time, it was considered a D solution at best after the big FC Bayern failed to lure a big name coach to Säbener Straße as the successor to Thomas Tuchel.
Many did not believe that Kompany would last long. But it quickly became clear that he and FC Bayern fit together. So good that the Bayern bosses even extended the 39-year-old’s contract early in October until 2029.
Successful season for FC Bayern
Because Kompany’s record is impressive: in the first year, after a season without a title, he at least won the championship for Bayern, who were used to success. This season his team is still undefeated in the Bundesliga, they reached the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup and everything is going according to plan in the Champions League so far.
What does Kompany do differently than Tuchel & Co.?
But why is Kompany so successful with the Munich team? Since he’s been in office, mole attacks, FC Hollywood and the whole Bayern ballyhoo have been a thing of the past.
In contrast to his predecessors Julian Nagelsmann and Tuchel, Kompany doesn’t constantly demand something or put himself in the foreground – he does his job calmly and objectively. He only cares about football. Uli Hoeneß particularly likes this. The honorary president recently raved that Kompany had managed to “bring calm back to the club.” The journalists would now have to come up with their own stories again.
Kompany sits down Team spirit
The former world-class defender also impresses with his authenticity – his players trust him and he trusts his players. With his clear leadership style, Kompany managed to revive the team spirit. FC Bayern presents itself as a unit. Nobody puts themselves in the foreground – neither on nor off the pitch.
Bayern veteran Thomas Müller played his last FCB season under Kompany. He has seen some coaches in Munich come and leave quickly. In an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the 2014 world champion summed it up: “Vinny leaves little room for physical weaknesses or negligence. He makes sure that everyone gets involved, otherwise they won’t be included.”
Talented people get working time
Last season, Kompany was criticized for not relying enough on young players. But this season the squad is smaller. Young talents like Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof come to work. In the last game of the year in Heidenheim, 18-year-old David Daiber and 16-year-old Cassiano Kiala made their debuts. Hoeneß also likes that, who spoke of a “dream we had that we would spend as little money as possible but still have a great new team.” They “didn’t spend 50 million here and 60 million there. That was good for our coffers. And of course we now have a coach who is willing to bring in young players – and that’s of course wonderful.”
“Ideal situation” at FC Bayern – thanks to Kompany
Kompany simply makes everyone happy – especially the fans, who are regularly presented with courageous and straightforward attacking football. The Munich team have already scored 55 goals in this Bundesliga season. “You used to hope in the 80th minute that the game would be over soon. And now you’re in the 80th minute and you say to yourself: Hopefully they’ll play for a long time because it’s so much fun. They’re having fun, the spectators are having fun and we in the stands are having fun too – and that’s actually the ideal situation at the moment, how you want to imagine FC Bayern.”
Rarely has there been so much praise from Bayern’s patron in recent years. Kompany seems to have broken the Bayern curse that had haunted all his predecessors since Pep Guardiola – because Ancelotti, Nagelsmann & Co. did not survive their second year in office.
Source: sportschau.de December 24th, 2025 – 3:28 p.m
