Lothar Matthäus knows how the Vincent Kompany story could have ended, because he lived something close to it himself.
Speaking on Sky 90 after Kompany was admitted to hospital, the Bayern Munich great put a number on the demands his current manager places on himself: around 18 hours a day on football.
“I would be awake at four o’clock, then have coffee at seven and have spent three hours thinking about football,” Matthäus said on the Sunday debate show, in comments reported by Goal.
He described the Belgian as a coach who thinks about football from morning until night, driven by the fear of a wrong tactical call, the wrong team selection or an opposition detail he had failed to read.
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From the Arsenal bench to a hospital bed
Kompany collapsed at Bayern’s training ground on Friday, 23 October, while watching the club’s second team train. He had been battling a viral infection, missed his pre-match press conference on the Tuesday and had still taken his place on the bench for Bayern’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Arsenal the following night.
By Friday he was being driven to hospital. Doctors ordered a stay of several days for further tests, with the virus understood to have moved into his legs.
Sporting director Max Eberl delivered the update the next morning before Bayern’s trip to Freiburg, telling reporters the club was giving its coach whatever time he needed.
“The good news is he’s stable. We’re not talking in terms of days, but weeks,” Eberl said.
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The club’s own statement confirmed Kompany would remain under medical care while a comprehensive examination ran its course.
Aaron Danks takes charge
Assistant coach Aaron Danks took the team to Freiburg on Sunday and led Bayern to a 3-1 win at the Europa-Park Stadion, with Dayot Upamecano, Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise on the scoresheet. Tom Bischof’s own goal eight minutes from time pulled one back for the hosts. The result sent Bayern back to the top of the Bundesliga.
Danks said Kompany had sent him a congratulatory message at full time, which the Englishman described as brilliant, before offering a small pledge to his boss in his hospital bed.
“I promise we will do our best to avoid as many football conversations with Vince as possible,” Danks said.
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Eberl called the win far bigger than just three points, with Kompany not expected back on the touchline for several weeks. Danks is set to take charge again when Bayern return to action in the DFB-Pokal second round this week.
