Burnley co-owner JJ Watt has offered his thoughts on Vincent Kompany’s surprising move to Bayern Munich, likening the dynamic world of football management to the adrenaline rush of American football.
Bayern Munich has selected Kompany, the former Manchester City captain, as the successor to Thomas Tuchel following an extensive search. With negotiations between Bayern and Burnley still in progress, Kompany has already traveled to Bavaria to finalize the deal.
Watt, a former NFL star who became a minority stakeholder in Burnley in May 2023, drew parallels between the fast-paced environment of European football ownership and the intensity of American football. On Twitter, Watt wrote, “People often ask if European football ownership helps fill the adrenaline void from playing… There are definitely days,” punctuating his message with a laughing emoji.
Despite unsuccessful attempts to recruit Xabi Alonso and Ralf Rangnick, Bayern turned their attention to Kompany. The Burnley manager, who couldn’t avoid relegation from the Premier League this season. Seems to be the preferred candidate to lead the Bavarian giants.
The agreement between Bayern and Burnley includes bringing Kompany and his entire backroom staff to Munich. If Burnley consents to releasing Kompany, his tenure at Turf Moor would end prematurely. Kompany, under contract until 2028, joined Burnley after a mixed spell at Anderlecht in Belgium.
During his time at Burnley, Kompany guided the club to a dominant Sky Bet Championship title win, amassing 101 points in the 2022-23 season. However, their return to the Premier League was challenging, with the Clarets losing 11 of their first 13 league matches, leading to immediate relegation.
After Burnley’s relegation was confirmed following a defeat at Tottenham on May 12. Kompany vowed to kickstart their bid for immediate promotion back to the Premier League. Now, he appears poised to continue his managerial career with Bayern Munich.
Kompany’s first major challenge at Bayern will be to restore the club’s dominance in German football. Bayern Munich finished third in the league this season, behind Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart. Marking the first time they ended outside the top three since 2011.
