Vincent Kompany has steered Bayern Munich to a second successive Bundesliga title and is in the running for two trophies that has eluded the club, turning the team into an unstoppable force. What’s impressive is that the Belgian coach needed only half an hour to convince Uli Hoeneß that he is the man to lead Germany’s biggest club. Uli said this when he was asked what he thought of the latest league title won by the Rekordmeister (captured by X account @iMiaSanMia).
“That the team has never been so united in the history of FC Bayern as it is now. There are absolutely no ‘cliques’ in this team. This includes not only the players, but also the entire coaching staff, the physios, and also Max Eberl and Christoph Freund. When we signed Vincent, everyone thought: How is someone who comes from a relegated team in England supposed to lead Bayern? Many didn’t think he could do it,” said Hoeneß. “We met at Käfer’s [the restaurant where the cockatoo came from] with Vincent, his father, Herbert Hainer, Max Eberl, and Christoph Freund for lunch. After half an hour, I grabbed Max by the knee under the table and gave him a thumbs-up.
“That’s when I knew and felt that it would be good and that Vincent was the right man for us. Vincent placed the word ‘work’ at the heart of his analysis. I really liked that, and it could be a good example and role model for our country. Some people believe that everything can be done with less work – but that’s completely wrong. Vincent is here every morning at 7:30 and is one of the last to leave in the evening. You can see that he simply enjoys himself, and he never started complaining when a player was injured. He’s made every single player here better – even Harry Kane, and that’s the real art.”
It’s rare that someone like Hoeneß, known for his brash and outspoken comments, will show praise for someone. But needing fewer minutes than what David Santos Daiber played this whole season to convince him must be some kind of world record. Kompany is truly a godsend for the club when it was at one of its lowest points. He has reinvented the team and reminded us all why we support this great club.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…