Vincent Kompany: 'I want a team with the force of a hurricane'

In an interview with the FC Bayern members' magazine ‘51’, coach Vincent Kompany chats about what is important under him, his understanding of football - and why his idea of the game needs as much pepper as a good soup does.

Vincent Kompany – The interview

Mr Kompany, our chefs have revealed that you love soups - and especially pepper. What does your taste reveal about your mentality?
"Oh yes, I can't have soup without pepper. I like herbs and flavours. I'm sure that has something to do with my African roots. At home, we had traditional Belgian cuisine, but also dishes from the Congo, my father's homeland, like Pili pili. But today I also enjoy Bavarian food - sausage salad, for example."

One of your guiding principles is: "Be hungry or go somewhere else." What exactly defines a hungry player for you?
"At this level, you're duty bound to give your all. You can enjoy what success brings - but you have to be prepared to make sacrifices. Hunger means always wanting more, always being prepared to do more, and to do it together. It also has nothing to do with winning. You have to be hungry when you win, lose or draw, when the sun is shining, when it's raining or snowing. It's the mindset of pushing yourself without becoming negative, out of the conviction: Only those who stick to the task make progress."

Do you see this hunger above all in difficult moments?
"Everyone experiences difficult moments. The key is not to hide away, but to use them to your advantage. Stick out your chest, search for the truth - that's what I demand. I want the group to believe in itself and its path. And the individual too. I myself never had a straight path; there were lots of ups and downs. But I've always trusted myself. I want to see the same thing from my team."

If you look back at your first Bundesliga game - a 3-2 win against Wolfsburg - and compare it with today: What has changed the most?
"In that first game, we were 2-1 down, came back, won 3-2 - and the substitutes made the difference. That's exactly what I want from day one to the last day: that we always believe we'll get our moment, even if things aren’t going perfectly. Everything else happened step by step. Through hard work, learning from mistakes, creating clarity for the players - and above all, maintaining calm and stability. It was always calm and stable in our dressing room, even after defeats. That has sustained us to this day. And it will continue to sustain us. If things don't go our way at times, we know how we can improve as a result."

Has there been a game in the last 18 months where you've thought: That was a bit spicy, that's exactly how I imagined it? Maybe in Paris - the first half?
"I don't think like that. I don't want to see “Kompany football” - I want to see Bayern Munich. Against PSG, we defended extremely high at first, then deeper later on - and yet we kept our look. But to say: 'That was my football' - that's not how I’d put it. I want a team who are dangerous in every phase. Even if we're defending deep in our penalty area, our opponents should be aware that we can score with three passes - like in Frankfurt. And when Manuel Neuer has the ball, we have to get the message across: Bayern can be dangerous at any time, whether after ten passes or just one. Even against deep-lying opponents, we want to show we can find gaps and remain a threat. Throw-ins, corners, for us or against us - we always have a plan to make something out of every situation. This feeling is much more important to me than running data or possession stats."

You also say that possession is not an end in itself. When is possession a valuable asset - and when is it not?
"We usually have between 60 and 75 per cent possession. The players actually want the ball, they didn't start playing football to chase after it. It's crucial that we are active in possession, that we create space and constantly threaten to score - as has often been the case in recent months. We don't voluntarily give up the ball and space. And if we have to defend deep, the opponents have to earn it - and then we have to enjoy defending. But otherwise, I want us to be ready at every moment, with every pass, to always have an idea, to always be dangerous."

What principles are non-negotiable for you in terms of your build-up play?
"If there's space, you go for goal - it's as simple as that. Basically, everything we do with the ball has to put us in a better position to score, regardless of whether it takes five, 15 or 30 passes. What we want to avoid are situations where we get caught outnumbered. Then we have to switch play, remain patient and wait for the right moment. If we're pressed high, we look for a way out and attack. If the opposition is sitting deep, we find solutions in tight spaces - with passes, runs and movement. For me, that's the whole point of possession."

If you had to describe football in a single word, what would it be?
"Creativity. Most definitely. I love it! I was a defender - my job was to stop creativity. But I spent my whole youth playing on the street, so I was fascinated by creativity. That's why I used to go to the stadium. Even at Bayern, the big names are always associated with creativity. Beckenbauer - the way he moved forward with the ball, played passes, utilised space. Ribéry, Robben: sheer magic. And the strikers - this variety of goals. These players could do things that normal people - including me - can't do. And I want to protect that."

How do you create space for creativity as a coach - despite all the principles?
"That's what it's all about for me at every moment. I want our technically strongest players to have the ball, the four or five up front leading the line. These are the guys who make the difference. The question is: How do we get the ball to them? How do we create space for them? How do we give them three or four options? A dribble, a one-two, a cross... If they have the choice, we've done a good job. Then they can show what only they can do."

Where do you want to lead your team - in sporting terms, culturally, personally? What's your goal?
"What I have absolute faith in is the quality of the players. Everything we do, we do purely to support them. The most important thing is the mentality of everyone putting in the legwork for each other: Teamwork beats tactics, that's the core of the game. I want a team with the force of a hurricane: working together, connected, carrying each other, having fun. Then there's no limit."

The year is drawing to a close. What sticks in your mind when you look back on 2025?
"It was a year in which I felt very much at home. It starts with my family, who have settled in very well in Munich, and culturally we've also settled in Bavaria - that helps enormously. I also work in a terrific environment, with people who challenge me and with whom I can be open. And I have a team who make me happy."

Are you difficult to please?
"Not at all. If a team works hard, it can hardly disappoint me - and this team has always worked hard, even after defeats."

Christmas is just around the corner. For someone who lived in England for a long time, it's a completely new experience to have a winter break, isn't it?
"That's true (laughs). I spent 11 years in England, and there Christmas was almost always synonymous with football. Now, in Germany, I can experience this holiday like a 12-year-old again - without any distractions, completely with my family. I really enjoy that."

You can read the full interview (in German) in the December issue of the members' magazine ‘51’. 

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