Bayern Munich Leads Table as Coach Kompany Faces Weeks in Hospital
Director of Sport Max Eberl states the 40-year-old's absence will be measured in weeks, leaving English assistant Aaron Danks to prepare the squad for Sunday's Bundesliga match at Freiburg.
By Rahul Mehta ·
Bayern Munich holds a one-point lead over Freiburg in the Bundesliga table, yet the club will enter Sunday's match without its head coach. Vincent Kompany, 40, remains hospitalized with a virus following a collapse on the training pitch on Friday.
Max Eberl, the director of sport, addressed the media on Saturday to confirm Kompany's condition is stable. He stated that examinations are ongoing to determine the specific nature of the illness. Eberl emphasized that the club is not setting a strict recovery timeline and that the absence will last for weeks, not days.
“Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We're not starting to put together any timeframes,” Eberl said. He noted that the staff must first understand the medical issue before discussing a return to duty.
Aaron Danks, the English assistant coach, will take charge of the team for the trip to Freiburg. Danks led the news conference in Kompany's place and described a brief phone conversation he had with the former Manchester City captain on Friday. Danks said he avoided football talk to ensure Kompany could focus on his health.
“I explained to him that we wouldn't be having no football conversations. It was just checking in on his health and making sure he's OK,” Danks said. He added that the coaching staff will operate as a unit to maintain the club's momentum during the head coach's absence.
Eberl explained that the club decided against seeking a postponement for the Bundesliga fixture. He argued that a strong performance and a positive result would be the most effective way to support Kompany's recovery. The Bayern second team match on Friday was postponed, but the first team will play as scheduled.
Danks confirmed that Joshua Kimmich, the Germany captain, will also miss the game after returning from bereavement leave on Tuesday. Kompany had returned to the dugout for Wednesday's home match against Arsenal despite the illness. He admitted afterward that he ignored warning signs from his body.
Source: Al Jazeera
