Pierre Kompany, Belgian political trailblazer balancing public duty with Bayern nights | OneFootball

Pierre Kompany, father of Vincent and a pioneering figure in Belgian politics, is juggling public office with following Bayern Munich. According to L'Équipe, his story stretches far beyond football.

A parliamentary trip to Taiwan means an awkward night. It will be 5am in Taipei on Thursday, 23:00 Wednesday in France, when he learns whether Bayern, coached by his son, have beaten PSG. Last week he watched incognito at the Parc des Princes as Bayern edged a 5-4 thriller.

He will miss the Allianz-Arena return, half a world away, having recently worn a Bayern scarf in Belgium’s chamber on 17 April. Strikes and a next-day plenary also kept him from travelling for the 4-3 quarter-final against Real Madrid.

A federal deputy since 2024, likely the final role of his career, the 78-year-old commands respect. Born in 1947 in Sud-Kivu in the east of the former Belgian Congo, his youth unfolded under Mobutu’s rule. A forced 13 months and 15 days at Kitona left deep scars, he abandoned promising prospects as a TP Mazembe forward and fled to Brussels in 1975 as a political refugee, gaining citizenship seven years later.

He combined odd jobs with industrial mechanical-aeronautical engineering studies, settling in the capital’s north with Joseline and their children Vincent, Christel and François, all future high-level athletes. Family friend Trésor Diowo portrays him as a second father, generous with guidance.

In the mid-2000s he returned to politics, serving in several posts before making history in 2018 as mayor of Ganshoren, the first man of sub-Saharan African origin to hold such a position in Belgium. He led the bilingual commune of 25,000 for four years, becoming a wider symbol.

Now based in Anderlecht and a communal councillor, he sits on the International Relations commission, engaging with matters concerning the RDC and Rwanda. Colleague Anne Pirson views the Kompany family as an inspiration for young people and notes his enduring energy.

Source: L'Équipe