How Aaron Danks will deputise for Vincent Kompany on the touchline in Paris

With Vincent Kompany unable to take his place inside Bayern’s technical area at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Tuesday evening, the spotlight will fall on someone who usually prefers to work behind the scenes. Aaron Danks, Bayern’s assistant coach, will be the man directing the team in the Champions League semi-final first leg in close consultation with Kompany, who is suspended and sitting up in the stands, and the entire coaching staff. “Of course we’ll miss him on the touchline. He’s our leader, he’s our boss,” said Harry Kane on the prospect of playing without Kompany. The responsibility is huge, but the man known in the squad as Danksy is facing it with that blend of British composure and meticulous preparation that sets him apart.

‘Get the job done as a team’

Since taking up his post in Munich in July 2024, the Englishman has been primarily responsible for day-to-day training planning at Bayern. Day in, day out, the 42-year-old is out on the pitch with the players, fine-tuning routines, offering guidance and listening. For Danks, this is more than just routine: “It means a lot to me to work for this fantastic club. We now want to shape the next era and help the players write their own story,” he told fcbayern.com during a visit to the club museum, where he and his fellow coaches took in the history of their new employer.

Board member for sport Max Eberl added of Tuesday’s setup: “Vincent has charisma and everything that goes with it. But all the groundwork is actually done behind the scenes by his colleagues on the coaching staff. As a result, everyone is on board with the philosophy and the things we want to implement, both defensively and offensively.” Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund is also taking a relaxed view of the “new situation” of having to face Paris without Kompany: “We will rise to this challenge and get the job done as a team,” said Freund. The coaching team led by Kompany is “well coordinated”.

Keeper of the cockatoo

In addition to his work with the England’s youth national team – Jamal Musiala in fact made his debut under his guidance for England’s U20s – Danks has previously served as assistant manager at Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Anderlecht. At Bayern, the set-piece expert has another important role as the keeper of the team’s lucky cockatoo statue, bringing it out to celebrate whenever he and the other coaches have masterminded another trophy win.

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