Vincent Kompany's appointment as Bayern Munich coach has been met with some scepticism but is also seen as an opportunity for the Belgian helmsman and the record Bundesliga champions.
Kompany, who was to be officially presented later on Thursday, has signed a three-year contract at the biggest club of his young coaching career, after previous engagements at Anderlecht and Burnley.
It ended an at times farcical months-long Bayern search for a new coach with around half a dozen men led by Xabi Alonso saying they weren't interested, and past coach Thomas Tuchel also not staying after all.
Big test for Kompany- and Eberl
Kompany, 38, is now tasked to get a Bayern squad featuring the likes of Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala and Thomas Müller back in winning tracks after a first season since 2012 without any silverware.
Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl and sporting director Christoph Freund will be judged on Kompany's success because they were the driving forces behind it, with Eberl saying that "he was on our list from the beginning."
Success would emancipate the duo from former club bosses Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge whose opinion still carries a lot of weight. And it was Rummenigge who effectively announced the Kompany signing, saying he was Eberl's choice.
Bayern'sXabiAlonsomoment?
The BBC spoke of "one of the most sensational stories of the summer, leaving the footballing fraternity flabbergasted at how a manager who was relegated from the Premier League was able to pick up one of the most prestigious jobs in the sport."
Dismissed as "Plan J" last week by the Athletic portal, Kicker sports magazine spoke of "a bold and imaginative choice born out of necessity."
It said that Bayern will hope Kompany's impact will be similar to that of Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen who won a historic Bundesliga and German Cup double without defeat, with Leverkusen being the first top tier engagement for Alonso.
Kicker recalled that not only Alonso but also Pep Guardiola and Ziedine Zidane were more or less untested when they started at Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively; and that Jürgen Klopp and Otto Rehhagel suffered relegation early in their career before the trophies came.
Pep football could be returning
Former SV Hamburg defender and Manchester City captain Kompany got the royal blessing from his ex-City coach Guardiola, who was also sounded out by Bayern where he was coach 2013-2016, and their idea of football is similar.
"I grew up in the streets of Brussels so we like the ball. We're creative. I like players who are brave on the ball but I was also a very aggressive player so I like the team to be aggressive. I also like the team to be brave in being aggressive," Kompany said in a video on the Munich website.
He added: "I see Bayern as a institution but what I am looking forward to most are the simple things.
"Working with the players, with the people in the building. Creating something that is described as a team. The very simple things. I don't think you have to make it more complicated. than this one. And the rest will follow."
Eberl looking froward to exciting story
Eberl spoke of "intense discussions, about the squad, about ideas, about the style of play" and that "we found an understanding very quickly on a human level but also on a sporting level.
"Everyone who comes into contact with him will realise what a great person he is. It's an absolute win for us and an exciting story we now want to write," Eberl said.
