Bayern coach Kompany to miss weeks after collapsing at training

By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany is expected to need weeks to recover after collapsing at the club’s training ground, sporting director Max Eberl said on Saturday.

The 40-year-old former Manchester City and Belgium defender remains in a “stable” condition in hospital, with examinations continuing, Eberl told a press conference.

“Vinnie will get all the time he needs. We’re not not going to start setting any timeframes,” he said.

“We need to find out what the issue is, and then it’s a question of what the recovery time will be. We're not talking in terms of days, but weeks. We’re all clear on that.”

Eberl said Kompany needed “protecting from himself” and that Bayern considered asking for Sunday’s Bundesliga match at Freiburg to be postponed.

However, the club decided that playing the match and securing a positive result would be the best tonic for the coach.

Kompany collapsed on Friday while watching a training session involving Bayern’s reserve team and was taken to hospital for further examinations.

“The health of Vincent Kompany is our highest priority,” Eberl had said after the incident.

“We at FC Bayern will do everything we can to help him recover quickly. Vinnie is receiving all the necessary medical care and support, and all the time he needs.”

Kompany had recently been suffering from a viral infection that forced him to miss training sessions and a news conference ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match against Arsenal.

He returned to the touchline for Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal but later acknowledged that he had ignored warning signs from his body while dealing with the illness.

Kompany took charge of Bayern in 2024 after previously managing Burnley and Anderlecht.

Efe Özkan