How a two hour phone call with Pep Guardiola convinced Bayern Munich to hire Vincent Kompany

Speaking to German publication kicker, former Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said he personally consulted Pep Guardiola on behalf of the club to decide if Vincent Kompany was the right man for the job. At the time, Bayern had just fired Thomas Tuchel and were burning through potential replacements at a frightening pace.

@iMiaSanMia captures the quote where Rummenigge recounts his discussion with Pep:

Rummenigge reveals that he spoke to Pep Guardiola before appointing Kompany: “Max Eberl asked me to speak to him at the time because I’m very close friends with Pep. I told Pep that I needed an analysis that was authentic and honest. We then spoke on the phone for almost two hours. To cut a long story short: he said he was 100% convinced that Vincent Kompany was absolutely the right coach for FC Bayern.”

This wouldn’t be the first time that Pep Guardiola has been consulted on matters related to coaching replacements at Bayern Munich. Back in 2017, when the club had just fired Carlo Ancelotti, Guardiola was spotted meeting Hoeneß for lunch at a restaurant in Munich. Reports at the time indicated that Guardiola had “signed off” on the person who would replace Ancelotti — which turned out to be Jupp Heynckes, his predecessor at the Bavarian capital.

Heynckes was successful in reviving the team that year, leading it to a Bundesliga title as well as deep forays into the UEFA Champions League and the DFB Pokal. Though he didn’t win a treble that season, fans who watched the team play know that it really came down to circumstances beyond his control (injuries, refereeing, etc.).

If Vincent Kompany is similarly successful, then fans might be in for a great season of football.