Bayern Munich's Vincent Kompany: 'We work hard to become better'
Vincent Kompany has opened up about his upbringing, the influence of his parents and what it was like growing up as a mixed-race child in Belgium, offering a personal insight into the journey that took him from Anderlecht to Manchester City, Burnley and the Bayern Munich dugout.
Bundesliga: Let’s take a look at your roots. Your parents used to tell you, “You have to work twice as hard.” What do those words mean to you today?
Vincent Kompany: "Specifically, my mother told us that we had to work twice as hard. My mother, to be precise, was blonde with blue eyes. She said it as a concerned mum who was working for the Office of Employment. It was just the statistics. It wasn't something that she made up. It was the statistics and the numbers that she got through her work.
"They showed that with a different colour of skin or a different name, you just have to work twice as hard, even with the same degree. But it's something she instilled in us. If you work twice as hard, the reality of life is that you become twice as good. That's an important aspect not to forget. Yes, we work hard, but we work hard to become better as well. We try to keep this in the family."
Bundesliga: You faced a lot of adversity growing up. How did that shape you as a person?
Kompany: "Maybe it plays a part. I think for every individual, when you grow up, your environment shapes you, but it's not just the negativity, it's also the positive people around you. I remember the bad experiences, but I think with age you remember more of the good things you had as well.
"One of the privileges I had that many of my friends didn't have was that I had two parents for a very long time. We didn't have money, but our parents did everything for their children. So being successful afterwards isn't just about me or just about the family. It's because the parents put in a lot of effort. These are things you maybe don't realise when you're younger, but when you're a father yourself, you realise that sometimes the biggest advantage isn't the money you start with, but the family and the people around you."
Bundesliga: Many Bayern supporters, as well as other football fans in Germany, say you have given the club a new image and that even people who do not support Bayern now find it more likeable. What matters most to you in the way you conduct yourself and in your approach more broadly?
Kompany: "I don't think that's true. I think I tried to align myself with the values and the identity of the club, and it made it easier that there is a little bit of a match as well. It's impossible to go into a club when you're on two different sides in terms of ideas. I came into a club that I understand really well. I have similarities with this club because of my past at Anderlecht.
"The great glory days of Anderlecht had a lot of similarities with what this club is. So I recognise a little bit of what they expect, how they think and how the club behaves. For the rest, I try to do my job. That's always the best way to help the club, to try and do your job."
Bundesliga: You've had plenty of role models, but you've also said, “I want to be my own manager.” What did you have to learn for yourself that no role model could teach you?
Kompany: "When I say you have to be your own person, it's not a statement saying that anything else is wrong. It's more about finding your role because coaching is constantly criticised and scrutinised, and you're constantly confronted with opinions from everybody. Everybody in the building has an opinion. Everybody outside the building has an opinion. Most of them want you to do well, and some of them, usually your opponents, don't want to see you perform. To live in this environment, you have to find your own line, your own centre.
"Usually, the closest thing I can find to clarity is if I coach according to who I am as a person, if that makes sense. Anything I try to do with the team, probably with time, becomes more and more clear to me. Maybe in your first year as a coach, you have to look for this, and it takes time. But whether I lose or win, what makes me happy is if I stay aligned with who I am as a person and if the team can live this as well. It makes my job easier, more enjoyable, and it gives me clarity in any circumstance."
Bundesliga: Which one do you prefer: Oktoberfest in Munich or Foire du Midi in Brussels?
Kompany: "Oktoberfest. I have to be honest. I think it's what Foire du Midi in Brussels can maybe become one day. It's not just the people from Bavaria and Munich, it's people from all over the world who come to this event, and the organisation is impeccable. It's a great experience. But I do miss something we have called the Smoutebollen [traditional Belgian deep-fried dough balls] from the Foire du Midi. Otherwise, Oktoberfest is an unbelievable event."
Watch: Recap Bayern's latest trip to Oktoberfest
Bundesliga: Which food do you prefer: Wurstsalat or Pomme d’Amour?
Kompany: "Pomme d'Amour [candy apple]. Easy. It's something traditional we have. Like I said, a mix of Oktoberfest organisation and a lot of the things from Oktoberfest, but together with some Belgian food and Belgian beers, would be the perfect festival."
