Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna believes new Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has a tough task ahead.
Bayern finally gave up their hold on the Bundesliga title after more than a decade, coinciding with Harry Kane’s first season after his big-money switch from Tottenham in the summer of 2023.
Kompany meanwhile took Burnley up to the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship, but was unable to keep them in the top flight.
After being linked with a number of candidates the former champios plumped for the Belgian as their new manager.
Speaking to Coin Poker , Sagna thinks the pressure will be on Kompany from the off,
He said: “I believe it's going to be difficult for him because he has a lot of expectations at Bayern Munich. Of course, he has the background and history of winning major trophies as a player, and he is another young manager that worked under Pep Guardiola and follows Pep’s coaching principles.
“The Bayern manager will always attract scrutiny – it’s a totally different challenge from Burnley, where, after an outstanding first season in The Championship, he was allowed to learn on the job in terms of what it takes to manage in the Premier League. He will not be afforded that luxury at Bayern Munich, who will be looking for instant success.”
The Frenchman did not think that observers could draw too many lessons from last season’s disappointment though.
He added: “I think he did an amazing job at Burnley when he guided them from The Championship into the Premier League. We all know how difficult The Championship is, and they were beating everyone. He sets high standards. Even in that record-breaking season, where they finished with 101 points, he was never pleased with the results or the player’s attitude.
“He always demanded more. I saw footage of him going crazy when they drew one of the games because the players didn't follow his instructions. I think his personality is one of the reasons why Bayern appointed him. He’s been an important player; he knows how to win and he can relate to the younger generation of players. It would be unfair to judge him purely on last season. It’s so difficult for promoted teams to compete in the Premier League.
“You don’t have the same quality of player or financial power as most of the other teams. I’m not making excuses for him, but it was always going to be a huge challenge to keep Burnley up. At Bayern, he’s going to be working with better players and a much bigger squad. The Bayern players will understand what he wants perfectly, and that will be easier for him. It’s a new challenge for him and a new environment to work in. Without being disrespectful to Burnley’s players, he will be able to achieve more as a manager in terms of getting his ideas and his playing philosophy across because he is working with a group of world-class players.”
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