How Bayern signed Vincent Kompany: "I wanted to sleep on his couch!"

Bayern Munich’s decision in the summer of 2024 to hand the first-team to Vincent Kompany looked risky at the time — and almost two and a half years later it is widely judged to have paid off. The club announced on 29 October 2026 that Kompany, who fainted during a training session last Friday and was hospitalised, has been discharged to continue treatment at home after tests showed he has meningitis.

A temporary absence and team form

Despite Kompany’s absence, Bayern recorded a convincing 6:1 win over Magdeburg in the German Cup round of 16. While the Belgian recovers, assistant coach Aaron Danks will take charge of the first team. Club sporting director Max Eberl told the club website on Thursday that Kompany’s early months in Munich were not a foregone conclusion and recalled the negotiations that brought him to the Allianz Arena.

Eberl said Bayern had considered several candidates to succeed Thomas Tuchel, including Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick, and that the profile of the young Burnley manager had been checked thoroughly. "At that moment we analysed the market very carefully and everything we heard about the young manager at Burnley was positive. At one point I said: 'Let's call Vini'. We spoke before our Champions League semi-final in Madrid. After four hours I had to break it off because I had a meeting. I put the phone down and thought: 'Wow, this looks good'. Then I asked Christoph Freund to talk as well and he came back with the same conclusion. He was convinced that Kompany was the right man for the job," Eberl recalled.

Eberl also described how he involved Karl‑Heinz Rummenigge and even checked Guardiola’s view. "I suggested to Karl‑Heinz Rummenigge, who has good contacts with them, simply to call Pep for an opinion. Two hours later I got an answer: 'Okay, we'll do it'." The sporting director and Freund then flew to England for the final meeting in Manchester.

In a story Eberl retold with a smile, the talks stretched into the early hours. He said that at around three in the morning Kompany told them: "Alright, I want to sleep and talk to my wife." Eberl said he lay down on Kompany’s couch and was surprised when Kompany joked about leaving. "Uli said I can't leave your house until you sign," Eberl recounted, and Kompany answered: "Okay, Max, I'll do it, just let me talk to my wife once more." Then, Eberl said, Kompany pushed him out.

Before joining Bayern Kompany had managed Anderlecht and then Burnley — guiding Burnley to promotion with 101 points before the team were relegated the following season. Eberl stressed that, beyond the unconventional résumé, Kompany had a clear footballing philosophy and the backing of important figures inside and outside the club when the appointment was made.

Photo: press material from the event