Million dollar transfer fee for Burnley FC
FC Bayern finally finds new coach with Vincent Kompany
29.05.2024, 17:08
Bayern Munich has finally found what it was looking for in its seemingly endless search for a coach: Belgian Vincent Kompany will succeed Thomas Tuchel on July 1. The club officially announced this. The 38-year-old, who has been coach of English Premier League club Burnley FC since 2022, signed a three-year contract with the German record champions until 2027. The transfer fee for Kompany, who was still under contract with Burnley until 2028, is said to be 10.5 million euros plus bonuses.
“I am looking forward to the challenge of FC Bayern. It is a great honour to be able to work for this club – FC Bayern is an institution in international football,” said Kompany about his new role, according to a statement.
He said of his playing philosophy: “As a coach, you have to stand for what you are as a personality: 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 basis is in place, success will follow.”
“In our discussions with him, we were immediately on the same page. He made it clear to us how much the job at FC Bayern appeals to him and that he is keen to take it on,” said sporting director Max Eberl: “Vincent Kompany is hungry and has everything he needs. Even as a player, he was a leading figure in top international football and is also leading the way as a coach. We would like to see more continuity in this position again.”
On February 21, Bayern announced that they would be parting ways with Tuchel in the summer and have been desperately searching for a new coach for 99 days now. The Munich team had asked Leverkusen’s championship coach Xabi Alonso, national coach Julian Nagelsmann, Austria’s national coach Ralf Rangnick and Oliver Glasner from Crystal Palace, among others. There had even been talk of Tuchel staying on again.
Kompany played as a defender in Hamburg from 2006 to 2008. After retiring from his career in his home country at RSC Anderlecht, he took over the club as coach before moving to England in 2022. However, he was relegated with Burnley this season. On the island, Kompany was successful as a player and captain at Manchester City, winning the league four times. He made 89 international appearances for the Belgian national team.