Vincent Kompany has turned down offers from ‘multiple’ broadcasters ahead of the World Cup.
Daily Mail Sport understands that the Bayern Munich manager, whose side confirmed the Bundesliga title at the weekend and are through to both the Champions League and German Cup semi-finals, instead intends to relax and re-energise over the summer following an intense season.
Kompany, 40, has been in-demand for a variety of reasons. The BBC and ITV are covering the tournament in the UK and may well have hoped for some fascinating insight into England captain Harry Kane, who has enjoyed a stunning season under the Belgian in Bavaria.
Aided by the deadly Englishman, Bayern cruised to their second Bundesliga title in a row under Kompany and are chasing a treble. In just 30 league games they have plundered 109 goals, leaving some to wonder if they are the best team in the competition’s history.
Ex-Manchester City captain Kompany, an articulate communicator, has previously served as a pundit for the BBC and for Sky Sports.
At the last World Cup in Qatar, Daily Mail Sport revealed how he had missed England’s 6-2 victory over Iran thanks to a visa issue, but quickly became a star of the BBC’s coverage thanks to some fascinating input.
Vincent Kompany has rejected a number of approaches to work as a pundit at the World Cup
It was hoped that he would be available to give insight into the performances of England captain Harry Kane
In 2019, Kompany joined the likes of Jose Mourinho, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness for Sky’s coverage of City’s clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
Three years earlier, the former Burnley and Anderlecht manager was forced to miss the 2016 European Championship thanks to a thigh injury and instead joined the BBC’s team.
‘I am extremely disappointed not to be in France with the Belgium team, but to be there with the BBC will be the next best thing,’ he said at the time.
After hanging up his boots following a career that saw him lift the Premier League trophy four times with City, Kompany managed Anderlecht and won the Championship with Burnley before being relegated the following season.
Bayern paid around £10.2million to bring him to Germany in a deal thought to be one of the most expensive in football for a manager.
Kompany is not shy of voicing his opinion on major issues. Earlier this year he said that Mourinho had made a ‘huge mistake’ with his ‘unacceptable’ post-match comments after allegations of racial abuse towards Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior.
Vinicius said Gianluca Prestianni, winger for Mourinho’s Benfica, had abused him during the game. Following the final whistle the Portuguese manager claimed Vinicius, who scored the only goal of the game, had been ‘disrespectful’ with his celebration and pointed to the club’s legendary striker Eusebio as proof that Benfica was not a racist club.
In a subsequent press conference Kompany spoke passionately for more than 10 minutes when asked for his view.
‘After the game you have a leader of an organisation, Jose Mourinho, who basically attacks the character of Vinicius Jr by bringing in the type of celebration to discredit what Vinicius is doing in this moment,’ he said.
‘For me, in terms of leadership, it’s a huge mistake and it’s something that we should not accept.’
