Vincent Kompany knows what makes a winning team. As a player, he was an integral part of the side, which ushered in Manchester City’s trophy-laden modern-day era. His extensive list of honours includes four Premier League triumphs, and his inspirational captaincy helped shape an environment which became synonymous with success. Kompany has brought his insatiable appetite for silverware to FC Bayern München, where he was appointed coach in May 2024.
Given the club’s rich history of fighting for – and winning – the biggest titles, it appears an excellent fit. In his maiden season in charge, he has led the club to the top of the Bundesliga standings and into the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
In June he will take Bayern to the ground-breaking FIFA Club World Cup 2025, a competition Kompany describes as “special” and “unique”. The Bavarian giants, who have been drawn with CA Boca Juniors, SL Benfica and Auckland City FC in Group C, will be among the favourites for the tournament, which will see 32 sides battle it out to be crowned the greatest club team on the planet.
Kompany explained how his recent experience of performing in an elite environment – he only called time on his playing career in 2020 – has allowed him to swiftly transition to coaching a squad with designs on the game’s most illustrious prizes.
“I can identify with a lot with the players I see here,” he told FIFA. “There is not a big difference with the dressing rooms I knew at Manchester City. It’s definitely an advantage. I know what motivates them. I understand what their ambitions are, what their simple concerns are. “Sometimes, it’s not always about the big things, but the small things they’re going through that maybe the outside world doesn’t want to understand. I’ve been there, I’ve been in these types of dressing rooms and I’m lucky to have a very good group of players who enjoy spending their time together. I also understand how important it is to protect that dynamic.”
Kompany’s mentality was forged during his formative years at Anderlecht, the Belgian club where he would go on to lift two league championships. “I’ve always been involved in football in high demanding places,” he said. “With Anderlecht, in the 1980s and 1990s, we were amongst the best youth teams in Europe. We would beat any big European team. We always had that pressure from the age of six years old: of winning, playing well, behaving a certain way. So, by the time I arrived at top level football, that was already a big part of me.
“It continued at Manchester City, of course, where we had the highest ambitions as well. To then become the coach of Bayern, it was actually something very familiar for me. I didn’t enter an environment I didn’t understand, I entered an environment I grew up in.”
While Bayern had an extremely rare trophyless season in 2023/24, the majority of Kompany’s squad have won a wealth of medals. Indeed, before Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga success last term, Bayern had won the division 11 times on the spin.
When asked how he continues to motivate players who have achieved so much, Kompany’s answer was reflective of a man whose core values are non-negotiable.
“Be hungry or go somewhere else,” Kompany replied. “It’s very simple.”
Read on for more of our interview with Vincent Kompany, who explains why he is relishing the prospect of this year’s Club World Cup, hails Bayern’s exceptional young talents, and discusses joining in with first-team training…
FIFA: Vincent, how much are you looking forward to leading Bayern München to the Club World Cup in the USA?
Vincent Kompany: I think the closer we get to the tournament, the more you can see the excitement growing. We’re part of a club here where every trophy is important, so by the time we get to America, it will be a priority.
What do you expect in terms of the atmosphere at the tournament?
I know we have a global fanbase, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see fans coming from Munich and Germany and mixing with the fans we have internationally. That will be quite special to see. We will also be playing against teams from different continents that have huge fan bases. For sure, it’s unique. It will be something that we’ve never seen before.
One of the biggest games in the group stage will be Bayern against Boca Juniors in Miami. What do you think that experience will be like?
I think there will be a lot of anticipation around this game. To play a competitive match against Boca Juniors as part of a large competition, that in itself is exciting. You’ll see some of the best fanbases in the world – ours and theirs – and some of the most traditionally successful clubs in the world come up against each other. I’m pretty sure it will be, in any event, a great footballing moment for all the fans.
There are so many Bayern fans all over the world, but many don’t get to see the club live very often. What do you think it will mean for them to watch the team in action?
I do think Bayern has a great tradition of going to meet those fans. Of course, there’s nothing better than a competitive game, and I think it [the Club World Cup] is also a great opportunity to showcase the club, not just to our fans, but also to people who might become future fans. There will be no lack of passion for this tournament. I have no doubt about that.
There are 92 Bayern supporters’ clubs in the USA and many fans are expected to attend your games in the Club World Cup. What is your message to them?
To come and see us. What happens on the pitch, happens on the pitch, and you have to let it play out. In general, though, while they [the players] are superstars, they are very normal guys. The guys I am coaching are hard-working young people and I think if the fans come and see us, hopefully they will get good memories from it. Hopefully they will understand that what they are supporting is just a group of people who are giving everything for the club. We’d like to showcase that as well.
What do you believe makes Bayern München a special club?
Despite being global and super advanced in terms of branding and the commercial [side], it remains a very traditional club. So, wherever Bayern goes, it’s still the club people from the 1990s, 80s, 70s, or 60s can associate with. It lives everyday within this club, that tradition. We’re trying to continue the next chapter of this club, of course, and you also feel the full power and full commitment to achieving footballing success in the future.
You have a lot of great young players in your squad, such as Aleksandar Pavlovic and Jamal Musiala. How will they shape the club’s future?
Every great club has not just got guys who are performing now, but long-term ideas. You must have succession [plans] and have the next players who are going to carry the identity and DNA of the club. You’ve mentioned two players, and you can see the impact they are already having on the pitch. I think they are going to become better and when the current leaders eventually pass the guard, it will be for them as well [to step up].
Finally, we’ve seen some videos of you on social media joining in training and making a few tackles. Is that another sign of your competitive drive?
So, there is a story behind it as well. Let’s put it this way, from all the staff members, I think I’m still the fittest and the best option to add to the training session whenever we lack an extra player. So, it keeps me a little bit fit as well and, at the same time, it’s always nice to connect with the players in a different way. I can still do it for a couple of years, so I’m going to keep doing it.
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