BERLIN (GERMANY), Oct. 1 (dpa/EP) –
The former German soccer player Lothar Matthäus compared the current coach of Bayern Munich, the Belgian Vincent Kompany, with some of the great coaches “who made history 20, 30 or 40 years ago” at the club, since he “personifies” their qualities.
“With his way of being, Kompany embodies the same as some of his predecessors who made history with Bayern 20, 30 or 40 years ago,” said the 63-year-old former Bayern player in his column on Sky Sports.
Specifically, he referred to the Polish Udo Lattek (6 Bundesliga and 1 European Cup), the German Ottmar Hitzfeld (5 Bundesliga and 1 Champions League) or the German Jupp Heynckes (4 Bundesliga and 1 Champions League). “I know how these coaches treated the players, sometimes harshly, but always with humanity. I think this honesty goes well with the team,” he said.
The Bavarian team leads the Bundesliga table after five days after achieving four consecutive victories at the start of the competition and, this weekend, drawing 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen, current champion. Furthermore, Kompany’s men beat Dinamo Zagreb with a historic victory (9-2) on the first day of the Champions League.
Matthäus also highlighted the Belgian coach’s attitude off the pitch. “He makes clear statements, sometimes giving players an extra day of rest, but he also challenges them and will surely adopt a tougher tone if necessary,” he explained.
“It remains to be seen whether Bayern will one day have as much success with the Belgian as with Pep Guardiola,” Matthäus wrote. “But I like the game with Vincent Kompany better. I have rarely, if ever, seen that style of play,” he concluded.