Vincent Kompany has been appointed Bayern Munich coach from next season onwards, the record Bundesliga champions announced on Wednesday as their long and difficult search for a new helmsman finally came to an end.
Bayern said that Kompany signed a contract until 2027 in succession of Thomas Tuchel who left by mutual consent after 14 months in charge and in the wake of a rare season without silverware.
Kompany, 38, arrives from relegated Premier League club Burnley, where he was in charge for the last two years on a deal until 2028 after a first coaching spell at Anderlecht in his native Belgium.
Bayern secured Kompany by paying Burnley a compensation fee estimated at between €10 and €12 million ($10.8-12.9 million).
Bayern happy to finally announce a coach
"All of us at the club agree that Vincent Kompany is the right coach for FC Bayern and we are very much looking forward to working with him," Munnich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said in a statement.
Kompany said: "I'm looking forward to the challenge FC Bayern. It is a great honour to be able to work for this club - FC Bayern is an institution in international football."
The former SV Hamburg and Manchester City defender Kompany became the subject of speculation last week after Bayern failed to land other and more prominent candidates over the past weeks.
Xabi Alonso from Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, Germany coach Nagelsmanm and Austria helmsman Ralf Rangnick said they were staying put, Oliver Glasner was not allowed to leave Crystal Palace, former Bayern coach Hansi Flick has joined Barcelona, and Tuchel also said he would not stay on after all.
Pep football could return in big move for Kompany
Kompany led Burnley into the Premier League in his first season but they were unable to stay up this term, finishing second last.
His style is similar to that of former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, under whom he was City captain, possession football backed by a compact defence, an area where Bayern have been lacking lately.
"I have the highest opinion about his work, as a person, his personality and knowledge about the game," Guardiola said.
Former Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Tuesday that Bayern had asked Guardiola for his opinion.
"Pep Guardiola was also helping us with Kompany, he spoke very highly of Vincent as a talented coach. Pep knows Vincent well and his opinion was really appreciated,“ Rummenigge told Sky Italia.
Kompany takes over a team that went through a first season without a trophy since 2012.
A third place finish in the Bundesliga behind Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart was Bayern's worst placing since 2011 and ended a record run of 11 straight league titles between 2013 and 2023.
They were ousted in the German Cup by third division Saarbrücken and lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
