Bayern Munich: How Vincent Kompany proved the doubters wrong

Eyebrows were raised when Vincent Kompany moved to Bayern Munich, but he is more than proving his worth ahead of Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 clash with Flamengo.

Kompany’s men go into the eagerly-awaited showdown aiming to take a step closer towards winning the coveted title, with every game live and available to watch free on DAZN.

Certainly Bayern are among the favourites to lift the trophy, given the world-class talent such as Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Thomas Muller in their squad.

Club World Cup glory would cap an already outstanding debut campaign at the helm for 39-year-old Kompany, who guided the German giants to the Bundesliga title.

It was Bayern’s 34th league title success and a huge feather in the cap of Kompany, who had spent the previous two seasons in charge of Burnley with mixed results.

After beginning his managerial career in his native Belgium at Anderlecht, where he began and ended his playing days, Kompany arrived at Turf Moor in June 2022.

He led them straight back to the Premier League in breathtaking fashion, amassing 101 points and losing only three of their 46 Championship matches.

But their return to the big time was a bitter disappointment, a pronounced let-down as the Clarets came straight back down with a whimper, winning just five games all season.

Nevertheless, Bayern opted for Kompany as replacement for the sacked Thomas Tuchel last summer.

They paid Burnley £10.2million in compensation for his services and handed Kompany a three-year deal.

That Kompany could speak fluent German and several other languages worked in his favour.

Still, this was a manager who had just been relegated, albeit one with ambition coursing through his veins.

(Getty Images)

A four-time Premier League winner as a player with Manchester City, the pressure was on Kompany to rediscover his winning touch at Bayern.

They had just suffered a first trophyless season in 12 years but Kompany quickly made his mark.

He implemented the same possession-based, attacking style of play which harvested such success during his first season at Burnley.

It is an approach demanded by Bayern fans and Kompany’s philosophy has proved the perfect fit.

No team matched Bayern for average possession (64%), shots or goals during the 2024-25 campaign.

He focused on individual player development and tactical flexibility, placing emphasis on integrating youth players into the first team and fostering a positive team culture.

England captain Kane has proved a hugely reliable source of goals once again in his second season in Bavaria.

He has hit over 30 goals in each of the past three seasons, but Bayern’s success this term under Kompany goes deeper than having one of the world’s finest finishers at their disposal.

Kompany has made a habit of making positive impacts during games, whether it be a tactical switch, substitution or a word in the ear of a player at half-time.

In a multi-national squad, Kompany has fostered a collective spirit and few players have impressed as much as Olise this season.

He arrived from Crystal Palace last summer and his impact at Bayern has been highly impressive.

The France midfielder, 23, has scored eight goals in his last nine appearances for club and country.

The last three of those have come at the Club World Cup and Olise has clearly thrived under Kompany's tutelage.

By no means is he the only one.

Jamal Musiala scored a hat-trick in their Club World Cup opener against Auckland City and has benefited from Kompany challenging him to improve in every department of his game.

Kane, Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry and others have spoken glowingly of Kompany’s ability to motivate and improve players.

If Bayern can negotiate a way past Flamengo this weekend, it would encourage hopes that maybe, just maybe, they can go all the way in the biggest and most lucrative Club World Cup yet.

With Kompany at the helm, a bright future at Bayern Munich seems assured.

Watch every game of the 2025 Club World Cup live and free on DAZN. More information and to sign up to a free account here