Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany needs “protecting from himself” and will take weeks to recover after collapsing at the club’s training ground on Friday, according to the club’s director of sport Max Eberl. The former Manchester City and Belgium defender, 40, remains in a “stable” condition in hospital, with examinations continuing.
Kompany was taken to hospital after collapsing as he watched Bayern’s second team train. He had been unwell with a virus and missed the pre-match news conference on Tuesday ahead of Bayern’s Champions League game against Arsenal, though he was on the touchline for Wednesday’s match.
Vincent Kompany Recovery Will Take Weeks, Says Bayern’s Max Eberl
“Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We’re not starting to put together any timeframes,” Eberl said. “We need to firstly figure out what it is and then we’ll discuss calmly what the recovery time is to be. We won’t be talking about days, but weeks. We need to all be clear on that.”
Eberl questioned whether the club “should have put the brakes on him earlier,” adding: “The fact is, we protect our coach wherever we can. If a coach says he feels ready to do something, then we’re not going to say ‘we won’t allow that’ if we don’t know what’s going on. Vinnie’s a hard worker. If you don’t listen to the subtle signals your body sends, eventually it will scream out in pain.”
Bayern to Play On at Freiburg as Kompany Recovers
Bayern had considered asking for Sunday’s Bundesliga game at Freiburg to be postponed, but decided the best tonic for Kompany would be to “play and be successful.” Bayern are joint top of the Bundesliga after four wins from their opening six games as Kompany attempts to lead them to a third consecutive title.
Kompany’s assistant Aaron Danks has spoken with the Bayern boss in hospital. “I explained to him that we would be having no football conversations,” Danks said. “It was just checking in on his health and making sure he’s OK. All the football operations are in our hands and we’ll work together as a team to keep the club moving forward.”
Kompany spent 11 years at Manchester City as a player, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and four League Cups, before managing Burnley — guiding them to the 2022-23 Championship title — and taking over at Bayern in May 2024, where he has led them to successive Bundesliga titles.
Vincent Kompany (Credits: BBC Sport)
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
