Kompany's Bayern Reignite Hopes of Post-Guardiola Era in 2026

Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga and are on course to retain their title under his guidance.

Kompany's Appointment Raises Eyebrows Vincent Kompany achieved so much as a player at Manchester City that he has a statue outside Etihad Stadium. However, his appointment as Bayern Munich boss in May 2024 raised eyebrows, as he had just taken Burnley down to the Championship. But the move appears to have been a masterstroke. Under his guidance, Bayern won the Bundesliga last season, and they are on course to retain their title, sitting 12 points clear at the top. ## Kompany Imposes His Own Style at Bayern There have been concerns among fans this season that the game's top teams, faced with stubborn man-to-man defensive set-ups, are taking a less risky approach in attack. But Kompany's Bayern lean into that risk, playing freely both in and out of possession. They often dominate, and are exciting to watch - an approach that involves all 11 players and starts right from the back. In the Champions League last 16, Bayern faced an Atalanta side who opted to man-mark across the pitch. ## Bayern's Movement off the Ball If there is one idea that epitomises Kompany's Bayern, it is arguably movement off the ball. As Bayern got into settled possession against Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final, the back four in their 4-2-3-1 formation changed positions in a way that troubled their opponents. Against Madrid's front two of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, midfielder Joshua Kimmich dropped deep, forming a back three with the two centre-backs. This gave Munich a three-against-two overload. ## Kompany's Tactical Acumen and Leadership Skills Kompany, though, commands respect from players given his accomplished playing career - and he is also well known for speaking clearly and thinking intelligently. Speaking on an external podcast, Carl Anka recalled receiving a book recommendation from Kompany. When he became City captain, the Belgian had read Richard Lewis' business leadership book When Teams Collide: Managing the International Team Successfully. Even then, Kompany welcomed taking responsibility for the success of those around him. ## Kompany's Season with Burnley Kompany's season with Burnley in the Championship - in 2022-23 - proved his ideas worked with players of a higher quality than their opponents. It might seem as if a team with better players should always succeed. But thriving in a complex environment of high performers is a challenge many coaches have struggled with - personally and tactically - when taking the step up. An accomplished coach such as Thomas Frank, for example, appeared better suited to leading an underdog Brentford side more willing to play his pragmatic style of football than the Tottenham team he managed this season.