Boateng on Kompany: "He’s always been a special character" | OneFootball

Jerome Boateng and Vincent Kompany share more than just a few seasons together. Both played side by side at Hamburger SV and Manchester City, one as a defense chief, the other as a leader with great tactical understanding. Today, Kompany is a coach at FC Bayern – and Boateng follows his development with great respect.

Boateng on Kompany's Development

In an interview with the Abendzeitung München, the former national player praised the work of his former teammate: “I see him absolutely positively. He appears confident, is popular with the players, and also makes a likable impression in public.” That Kompany is in his second season as Bayern coach on the sidelines is no surprise to Boateng: “He was always a special type – but I mean that positively. Even back then, he was very interested in tactics and had this aura and leadership profile. That's why it doesn't surprise me extremely that he is Bayern's coach.”

Boateng also emphasized that the contact has not been broken to this day. They occasionally write to each other and meet occasionally during visits to the stadium or the training ground.

Boateng with His Own Ambitions

Photo: IMAGO

At the same time, Boateng is also looking towards his own future. In November 2023, the 2014 World Cup winner obtained his B-license, the next step towards a coaching career. He sees Kompany as a possible role model, even though he emphasizes that everyone goes their own way: “Of course, Vincent Kompany is a prime example. But for him, it went very quickly – that's not always just good. But he did it superbly.”

He doesn't have a single idol, Boateng further explained. Rather, he has learned from various coaches – from Horst Hrubesch to Jupp Heynckes to Pep Guardiola. The human interaction is particularly important to him: “This job is not easy. It takes a lot of time and you have to cover many areas. But it can also be a lot of fun.”

Whether Kompany or Boateng: Both embody leadership strength – one already on the sidelines, the other perhaps soon in a similar role. Boateng's words show that Kompany is not only appreciated by players and fans but also serves as a role model for former teammates.

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