"Fierce rivalry": Why facing Brugge means so much to Kompany | OneFootball

When FC Brugge visits the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening, it will be more than just an ordinary Champions League match for Vincent Kompany. The Bayern coach faces an old rival – one with whom he shares an emotional past.

For Kompany, the encounter with the Belgian record champion is anything but ordinary. The match against Brugge marks a special chapter in the coach's career. "We are playing against a Belgian team – but I spent my entire youth playing for Anderlecht," the 39-year-old explained at the press conference on Tuesday before the game.

He further elaborated: "Therefore, on one hand, it remains a great rivalry – but on the other hand, I know players from the national team or from England. Also, the coach Nicky Hayen, that's a very special story. But when it comes to me, I mainly feel a sense of rivalry."

Kompany's Match Against Brugge Caused a Scandal

Kompany's connection to Anderlecht is deep – as a player, later as a coach, he shaped the traditional club. This makes the duel with Brugge all the more charged for him, as it counts not only in sporting terms. The incident from 2022, when Kompany was racially abused as Anderlecht's coach in Brugge, remains unforgettable. After the game, he openly spoke about the incident: "This day ends sadly, I am disgusted. My staff and I were insulted throughout the entire game."

Sportingly, under Kompany's leadership, FC Bayern is aiming for the next victory. The club has been undefeated in eleven competitive matches and wants to continue this streak against Brugge. Another success against the Belgians would not only be emotionally significant but also strategically important. With Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal awaiting the Munich team in November, two heavyweights are on the horizon.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.