After 3 seasons with Anderlecht, Vinent Kompany flew back to the country where he had his greatest successes. But just like with purple and white, Kompany does not end up in a bed with Burnley, Sporza journalist Aster Nzeyimana knows.
Vincent Kompany’s appointment had been in the pipeline for a while, but it would have taken a little longer because post-Brexit it is a lot more difficult to get a work permit in England.
There have already been trainers who have not received a work permit, but a living legend like Kompany was of course allowed.
Under new American owners, Burnley is no longer the charming club where football culture takes precedence over money.
Working in financially difficult circumstances, just like at Anderlecht
Where does Kompany end up? Well, Burnley is a very cozy and beautiful club from the northwest of England, an hour from Manchester. It is beautifully situated in the hills, but it is also an industrial city where time has stood still a bit.
For a fan of English football it is a great place to go. Only Burnley has not had a good season.
Burnley was a club that spent years boxing above its weight to stay in the Premier League. Historically, as well as fans and finances, the club doesn’t quite have a place in the Premier League, but it has remained there for 6 years in a row.
It owes this to good policy and the belief in one man: Sean Dyche. And Kompany now has to succeed.
Recently, Burnley is no longer that charming club where football culture takes precedence over money. It has fallen into the hands of Americans who have other ambitions with the club.
They have bet on an extended stay in the Premier League for this. They even took out a loan to buy the club.
But now that Burnley has failed, the club threatens to end up in financial hardship, especially if they cannot promote immediately.
Vincent Kompany will again have to overcome a lot of obstacles at Burnley.
Kompany gets the keys, but he will have to build again
So there is pressure on Vincent Kompany. I admire his audacity, because he has not chosen the easy way. There was also interest from much more attractive clubs from Germany and France, where he could also more easily express his vision of football.
But the choice for Burnley is also a choice for his family. Kompany’s wife Carla is from Manchester. I think he will soon be living there too.
Kompany is a man of many talents and he will also have boundless faith in his abilities. But if he didn’t get to 10th by New Years, things could falter for him too. His reputation in England could take a big dent.
Kompany does get the keys to the club. Burnley has an old core, with many British players who have served the club tremendously. But this page will be turned.
Kompany really needs to rebuild the club. In that way it resembles the challenges at Anderlecht. It is striking that he has opted for a similar project twice in his early football career.
However, if all goes well and he can be promoted to the Premier League, Kompany will have made his name as a coach in England in one fell swoop.
Aster Nzeyimana
