Under Friday night lights in the height of summer two years ago, Vincent Kompany introduced the managerial version of himself to English football.
Ahead of kick-off on a balmy July evening, few outside the inner sanctum of the visitors’ dressing room at the John Smith’s Stadium knew what was coming when the Belgian, clad in a smart navy suit and bright white trainers, strolled confidently out of the tunnel.
Not Burnley’s supporters, who had travelled across the Pennines in fine number for their first Championship game of the season, not those watching in the press box and certainly not those lining up in the blue-and-white stripes of Huddersfield Town.
What followed was a 90-minute masterclass. It may have ended 1-0 but it could have been five. Burnley — formerly Sean Dyche’s pragmatic Burnley — played their hosts off the park with a dazzling brand of pressing, front-foot football that was easy on the eye and brutal on the opponent.
After what was a procession, giddy supporters gleefully jammed Radio 5 Live’s phone-in to hail the arrival of a new Burnley, the polar opposite from the old one.
Vincent Kompany, pictured here on his first game in charge of Burnley (1-0 against Huddersfield in July, 2022), is on the verge of taking over at Bayern Munich
Kompany steered the Clarets to a dominant Championship title then oversaw relegation
Jack Cork (left) and Kompany cut glum figures after Burnley’s relegation was confirmed
Having landed the job in east Lancashire Kompany immediately set about his task. This was revolution, not evolution, and it was played out mostly behind closed doors.
Burnley appeared in only one pre-season friendly in front of the public that summer. It was, as everything is with Bayern Munich’s manager-in-waiting, planned to the most intricate detail and is part of the attraction that has left him on the cusp of an extraordinary move to Germany’s superpower.
Some have said the Manchester City legend must have the best agent in football to even be in the conversation for a move to the Allianz Arena, let alone in the private jet bound for it.
They will point to what followed after that night in West Yorkshire. For having led Burnley back to the Premier League with a mammoth 101 points, Kompany then spent what is thought to have been more than £100million assembling a side that could only muster 24 points and five wins. They finished the season eight points from safety but had it not been for the deduction handed to Nottingham Forest, they would have been 12 adrift.
Bayern will look beyond that. They are aware of the countless hours the 38-year-old spent in the office of Pep Guardiola, their former manager, when he knew he was in his final season at City, peppering him with questions, a sponge for the information that the Catalan happily shared.
Guardiola remains close to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the former CEO who now sits on an advisory board, and former president Uli Hoeness — and seals of approval don’t carry much more weight than that from east Manchester.
Kompany picked the brain of Pep Guardiola, who was happy to share his insights
The Belgian started his managerial career with Anderlecht before moving to Burnley
Bayern will also reflect on what they saw from Kompany’s Anderlecht sides, when personnel regularly made the trip from Bavaria to Belgium to monitor their striker Joshua Zirkzee, who had joined Kompany’s first club in management on loan for a year. And they will have listened when Rene Maric, their head of coaching and philosophy who studied for his badges with Kompany, sang his praises.
But what of Kompany’s time in Burnley? How has a promotion followed by a relegation proven to be the stepping stone to a plum job at one of Europe’s elite? Is this the greatest blag of all time? Well, it was a reign of two halves.
In his first summer at Burnley, Kompany performed what some may view as a miracle. While managing to cut the Turf Moor wage bill in half he rebuilt the side he had inherited from Dyche into a dynamic, creative unit from across the Continent.
Few managers in the modern game play such a key role in recruitment, but these were Kompany’s players. At the club’s training ground the meeting room became the centre of activity. Hours were spent with analysts going through videos, showing them the skills they needed to identify and how to identify them. Those who sat through them were left with a clear picture of the Kompany prototype.
Kompany’s own company, Mud Analytics, was brought in. All hands on deck. Quickly, he struck up a close relationship with Alan Pace, the club’s American owner who came to view the manager as part of his family. Trust was established almost immediately. The club’s backroom staff began to expand at a rapid rate.
Burnley chairman Alan Pace, above, and Kompany struck up a close relationship
On the field Burnley got off to a flyer. When they signed off for the World Cup break with a 3-0 victory over local rivals Blackburn Rovers on November 13, they had won 11 and lost just twice, the only frustration being a high number of draws (eight).
That break came at the perfect time. With just two players away, Kompany was able to further instil his philosophy and tactics into the squad. While the eyes of the world were on Qatar, in east Lancashire relentless double sessions were being carried out on the grass with the Belgian dictating affairs and often stopping sessions to get his points across. After the season restarted on December 11 Burnley won nine in a row and only lost once more all season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, amorous glances came Kompany’s way. Tottenham, before hiring Ange Postecoglou, are among those understood to have made their feelings clear. But Kompany was told that should he stay, he would be given the backing to do what he wanted to do.
The cracks, however, were quick to appear. New contracts were given to a number of players after promotion who would barely kick a ball. Anass Zaroury, who ended up on loan at Hull, and Belgian winger Manuel Benson, who made only nine appearances.
Kompany has a relentless work ethic and is known to demanding of his players
Particularly damaging was Kompany’s decision to bring his players back from their summer break on June 5 — five days before Manchester City faced Inter Milan in the Champions League final. Such was the work ethic. More often than not, players would endure six-day weeks.
That is not to say there was a lack of care. At Christmas, that famous meeting room was turned into a Santa’s grotto as a party was held for the families of staff. At the end of the season the training ground was turned into a theme park with slides and bouncy castles.
But Kompany has what some would call a football addiction. He was always first in and last out and not all his players appreciated the lack of down time.
There were also a series of decisions which raised eyebrows among supporters. Goalkeeper James Trafford kept his place in the side despite clearly struggling for form. The absence of Benson, who was superb in the second tier, is another call fans struggled to get their heads around.
Craig Bellamy (right) will not be following Kompany to Bayern Munich next season
Throughout it all, Kompany continued to be backed by Pace and, to be fair to Burnley’s supporters, at no point were calls for his head audible as miserable Saturday followed miserable Saturday at Turf Moor.
Kompany’s perseverance with playing out from the back was a non-negotiable but, admirable though it may be, it cost Burnley more often than it paid off for them.
And not all was rosy among the staff, a group which continued to grow. By all accounts Kompany had been given the green light to expand the workforce again next season, the logic being that 46 games in the Championship as opposed to 38 in the Premier League demands more support.
But, even if Kompany had stayed at Burnley, it was unlikely to be with assistant Craig Bellamy at his side. The relationship was strained and, although Bellamy would not follow the manager to Germany, the fact he was unlikely to remain at his side anyway had he stayed in England tells its own story.
Although sections of the club’s fanbase may not be distraught to lose Kompany, Pace will not have taken the stunning developments of the last week well. And why should he? The American was aware of Burnley’s standing and the prospect of Kompany leaving but did not believe it would happen now.
After Burnley’s relegation to the Championship was confirmed Kompany told the media that ‘tomorrow is day one’ in their quest to return. Perhaps the big quest now is to ensure his expensive army head out with him.
Harry Kane and Co would provide Kompany with a squad packed full of talent
As for Bayern, they have had plenty of time to focus on finding a coach after deciding to ditch Thomas Tuchel in February. They will believe the positives outweigh the negatives. Kompany is a bright, young candidate who they know and who comes with a reference from Pep.
Kompany speaks German, along with a number of other languages, and will come relatively cheaply. He was well paid at Burnley but reports that Bayern will have to pay around £20m to release him are wide of the mark.
Kompany will know Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso was Bayern’s first choice. But if a deal is concluded, will he care? It is unlikely, and nor should he.
Burnley to Bavaria is not a well-trodden path. Kompany may well dance down it.
