Bayern Munich have appointed Burnley boss Vincent Kompany as their new head coach on a three-year deal.
The 38-year-old replaces Thomas Tuchel after he departed at the end of the season, with Bayern agreeing a compensation fee of around £10.2m with Burnley to appoint Kompany.
The Belgian’s arrival comes despite him enduring a tough season at Turf Moor after the Clarets were relegated from the Premier League for an immediate return to the Championship.
But the ex-Manchester City captain has a knowledge of the Bundesliga having played at Hamburg, and is a fluent German speaker.
Bayern have brought in Kompany after a series of rejections in their search for Tuchel’s successor with Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso, Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann and Austria coach Ralf Rangnick all turning down the job.
Kompany, who began his managerial career at Anderlecht, departs Burnley after two seasons in charge, which included him guiding the club to the Championship title in 2023.
A Burnley statement read: “We can confirm that Burnley Football Club has come to an agreement that will allow Vincent Kompany to leave Turf Moor.
“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.”
Kompany: A great honour to join Bayern
A four-time Premier League winner as a player with Manchester City, Kompany will look to rediscover his winning touch at Bayern after the German giants suffered a first trophyless season in 12 years.
He told the club’s official website: “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.”
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said: “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 absolutely wants to take it on.
“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 making progress as a coach. We would like to see more continuity in this position.”
Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said: “Vincent Kompany is a type of coach who fits in very well with FC Bayern’s playing philosophy and identity: his teams want the ball, want to play dominant and high-intensity football.
“He is a young, very ambitious coach who brings a lot of international experience, has his finger on the pulse of the players and knows exactly what should happen on the pitch. He can and will give our team an enormous amount.”
Style and substance? Kompany to Bayern raises questions
Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:
Vincent Kompany’s move to Bayern Munich was initially greeted with ridicule and disbelief. A more balanced view has since emerged but there is no escaping the incredulity when a coach relegated with Burnley is set to walk into one of Europe’s biggest jobs.
The German giants did not come calling for Sean Dyche when he finished seventh in the Premier League. Their views on Stan Ternent and Steve Cotterill are unconfirmed. But Kompany is regarded as a gamble worth taking, a coach of vast potential.
Kompany’s Burnley finished second-bottom and eight points from safety to be relegated from the Premier League
There are many factors involved, not least Bayern’s own fraught recruitment process. But choosing Kompany also highlights the changing view of what makes an elite coach, a growing willingness to look beyond results and towards a style that could transfer.
Kompany, it should be acknowledged, has plenty else going for him. As a player, he captained club and country, winning the Premier League with Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. That brings instant respect and a relationship that imbues a certain shine.
The trend in modern management is towards those disciples of Guardiola. Mikel Arteta has emerged as his biggest challenger in the Premier League, Xabi Alonso has just triumphed in the Bundesliga. Enzo Maresca has followed Kompany in winning the Championship.
The connection with Guardiola, widely regarded as the outstanding coach of his generation, is particularly significant at Bayern. Some frame his work there as unfinished without a Champions League win but he wowed with his ideas. There is a legacy there.