Vincent Kompany is Bayern Munich’s New Manager
Legendary Manchester City defender and now former Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has become the latest manager of German giants Bayern Munich. Kompany’s contract will take him to 2027. However, Bayern has had an itchy trigger finger when it comes to sacking managers in recent years. The Bavarians are coming off their first season without a Bundesliga title in over a decade.
Before booting Thomas Tuchel in 2024, Bayern cut loose Julian Nagelsmann in 2023 when he had three years left on his contract. Their past few years have been defined by impatience and incompetence at the highest levels of the club. Since Nagelsmann’s firing, there has been a power vacuum in the boardroom, as Bayern sent their then CEO Oliver Kahn and director of sport Hasan Salihamidzic packing as well. Bayern’s disappointing 2023-24 campaign was overshadowed by a mad scramble for power in the front office, and they are now reaping the rewards of hiring Kompany.
The move for Kompany is a shocking one. Kompany has spent two seasons at Burnley. In his first, his side won the EFL Championship, gaining promotion to the Premier League and playing an expansive, possession-based style of football. Things went awry in 2023-24, as Burnley was relegated to the top level of English football for the first time. It is rare to see the manager of a relegated side keep his job for an entire season, let alone see him leave the club for a European giant. The move for Kompany is clearly rooted in the style of football he plays, combined with Bayern’s desperation.
It is also worth noting that Bayern’s coaching search was three months long! Once it became clear that Tuchel would not last past the spring of 2024, Bayern rifled through candidates for the job. However, a lack of leadership at the top led them to miss out on Xabi Alonso, Ralph Rangnick, Oliver Glasner, Roberto De Zerbi, former manager Hansi Flick, and even Erik Ten Hag. The club even asked Thomas Tuchel to reconsider, after they asked him to leave months earlier.
Oddly enough, while taking a job at a massive club and coming off of a relegation season, Kompany is not under as much pressure as you would think at Bayern. Things have been such a mess in the boardroom. It would be hard to blame the Belgian if things were to go wrong this season. Crucially, Kompany will get a host of world-class players to test out his possession-based style, rather than the resources of a low-level Premier League side like Burnley. If Kompany exceeds expectations, he will be hailed as one of the best managers in Europe for bringing one of the biggest clubs in the world back to prominence. No pressure!
