Novel educator joins the team. - Vincent Kompany presents himself: Bayern Munich aims to regain unity
Vincent Kompany has now taken his seat: the new coach for Bayern Munich. He sat down in the press room of FC Bayern with Press Officer Dieter Nickles by his side and Supervisory Board Chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen and Sports Director Max Eberl on the other flank. After months of unsuccessful coach hunts, Kompany officially becomes a part of the new Bayern leadership team. The Belgian coach and his executives face a tall task – they need to guide the club into a new era, preferably as illustrious and bright as their previous years.
The uncertainties about Bayern's future were noticeable during Kompany's presentation. He attempted to lighten the situation by making a joke, stating, "I've spoken a lot with Max Eberl and Christoph Freund. The fact that I'm here means: They're doing a good job." Eberl's words from the last Bundesliga matchday fit well with Kompany's statement: "The best comes last."
Kompany had a response for every inquiry
Sitting physically on the stage, Kompany divulged his perspective on football. "As a coach, you have to train like you played. I grew up on the streets of Brussels and learned to win at Anderlecht," he shared. He expressed desire to play "bravely" with the ball and "aggressively" against it. He also mentioned his ambition to "make every player better." "Bayern is a great club, I want to take everyone on this journey. I don't just want the best players, but also the best team," he added.
Kompany evaded specific player questions, stating, "It's too early to talk about players."
Kompany had a response for every query. What was most crucial at this event was the protagonists' effort to appear as a united front. The damage caused by the hurried and disorderly coach search in the past months was repaired, as per the message. Kompany took on his role when he said at the beginning, "I've also talked to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß. They support me."
It's time for a revival for FC Bayern
The statement was crucial because Thomas Tuchel, the previous coach, did not have the board's backing when deciding to stay or not. The impression was that Eberl and Sports Director Christoph Freund wanted to keep Tuchel, while Hoeneß and Rummenigge wanted him out. The FC Bayern looked fractured, and the new sports director Eberl, who had only been on the job since March, was already under immense pressure. Eberl confessed that the club had "missed one or two blue eyes" in the past.
So, the introduction of the new coach became an effort to kick-start a revival following the commotion of the coach search: "We have a great opportunity to revert a few things and reclaim our unity," said Eberl. It was necessary to "put an end to the past months."
Dreesen's statement was a bit excessive, considering he had earlier announced the signing of Ralf Rangnick as a sure thing, but the contract had yet to be signed. Now, he was trying to sell the "diversity" of Bayern and its surroundings as "our strength," which led to the signing of Kompany. Of course, the "expertise of people like Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge" was also included. That was a tad overblown.
For some players, the restart could be difficult. As Eberl phrased it: "We're probably already a bit further along than people think. At our club, there are no 'strike lists.' Of course, there are players who it may be tougher for in the future, but that's normal in professional sports."
In the end, the trio posed for a group shot. In the middle stood the 1.93-meter-tall Kompany and wrapped his arms around his superiors, who he clearly towered over. It seemed as if Kompany had to protect his superiors.
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