Burnley Manager Vincent Kompany Speaks With EFL Magazine
Four Premier Leagues, four English Football League Cups, two FA Cups, two Belgian First Division titles and a third-place medal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. A truly decorated career, there’s very little Vincent Kompany didn’t achieve as a player, earning himself a reputation as one of football’s greatest ever defenders. But now, the Belgian is fast becoming one of English football’s most talked about up and coming managers.
“Don’t believe the hype and don’t believe the drama,” the former Manchester City captain and Burnley manager says. A phrase he repeats regularly to his players, as Burnley sit top of the Sky Bet Championship. Vincent Kompany has learned from the best. The defender played under the likes of Pep Guardiola, Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Roberto Martinez during a decorated 17-year playing career, while also sharing the pitch with the likes of Sergio Aguero and David Silva.
But despite the former Manchester City skipper’s illustrious list of former managers and team-mates, the best piece of advice he’s been given, he wrote for himself. “It’s true,” he says. “Don’t believe the hype, that’s the advice I always give to myself. Stay on course and stay humble. If you have a bad day, remember to take a deep breath and make sure you face people in the way that you would want to be led in those moments.” No-one not even Kompany himself could have envisaged Burnley sitting top of the Championship ahead of the mid-season World Cup break. The departure of long-serving manager Sean Dyche was followed by relegation from the Premier League, as well as a number of player departures, leaving Kompany with a huge task upon arrival at Turf Moor, as the “rebuild” began.
But the 36-year-old’s appointment signalled the beginning of a new era for the Clarets. His key principles of “togetherness” and “hard work” have brought a fresh positivity to the Club and with just two defeats in his first twenty-one games, it’s so far, so good. But why Burnley for the former Belgium international. “Burnley Football Club is a truly historic English side and it’s an honour to be appointed first-team manager,” Kompany said on his first day in the building. And since his appointment, it is evident that they were by no means just empty words. What becomes increasingly clear the more he speaks is, in Burnley he has a project he believes in, a culture he believes in and a town he wants to make proud again.
Chadwick Media 