Friday, November 22, 2024

Pep Guardiola’s role in Bayern Munich decision to hire Vincent Kompany

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Pep Guardiola gave his former Manchester City player and current Burnley manager Vincent Kompany an influential helping hand in landing the Bayern Munich job this summer

Vincent Kompany is joining Bayern Munich(Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Vincent Kompany received a glowing recommendation from Pep Guardiola when Bayern Munich were collecting character references in their search for a new manager.

Kompany is set to be announced as the next Bayern boss, replacing the outgoing Thomas Tuchel, after the German giants failed to land other targets. Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann and Austria manager Ralf Rangnick all rejected their approaches before Tuchel turned down the opportunity to stay on.




Kompany has since emerged as the frontrunner and will take the job after being relegated from the Premier League with Burnley. The 38-year-old, who previously managed Anderlecht in his native Belgium, speaks German thanks to a two-year stint with Hamburg and impressed sporting director Max Eberl in interviews.

Many were surprised to see Kompany shortlisted for the role, given he won just five of 38 league games with Burnley this season, but Bayern board member and former chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Guardiola’s praise was influential in him landing the role.

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“Our sporting director has chosen Kompany, it is not yet official but there are only the last details to be sorted out,” he told Sky Sports. “I am convinced that Kompany will arrive in the end. Guardiola spoke to us in a very positive way about Vincent. He had him at City as captain and Pep also followed him when he was at Burnley, so he gave us a good hand.”

Guardiola, who managed Bayern between 2013 and 2016 before heading to City, didn’t just speak privately in support of Kompany, whom he managed for three years at Manchester Cityhe also publicly backed him. “I’m happy the link has happened for Bayern to Vinny,” Guardiola said last week.

“I have a huge opinion about Vinny, doesn’t matter the relegation with Burnley. What I felt playing against him and knowing him, I have the highest opinion of his work, personality, his knowledge of the game, how he handles the media.

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