Kompany

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Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany (French pronunciation: [vɛ̃sɑ̃ kɔ̃pani]; Dutch pronunciation: [vɪnsɛnt kɔmpani]; born 10 April 1986) is a retired Belgian professional footballer who played as a centre back and is currently the manager of Belgian club RSC Anderlecht. He also played for the Belgium national team.

Kompany began his professional career at Anderlecht; having graduated from their youth system, he was with the club for three seasons as a first team player before moving to Bundesliga club Hamburg in 2006. In the summer of 2008, at the age of 22, he completed a transfer to Premier League club Manchester City. He established himself as an integral part of the squad and was regarded as one of the bargain buys of the revolutionised City era,[4][5] blossoming into one of the league's best centre backs. In the 2011–12 season he was awarded the captaincy of Manchester City, leading his club to win the Premier League that season, their first league title in 44 years.[6] Kompany was included in the Premier League Team of the Year for two years in a row in 2011 and 2012 as well as being included in the 2014 team, and won the Premier League Player of the Season in 2012. Regarded as one of the best defenders in the world,[7] he was listed 23rd in "The 100 Best Footballers in the World" by The Guardian.[8][9]

In May 2019, after 11 years at Manchester City, he announced he would leave the club in June 2019 when his contract expired. On 1 July he became the player-manager at RSC Anderlecht of the Belgian First Division A where he started his professional playing career. A year later, on 17 August 2020, he announced his retirement from professional football and was presented as Anderlecht's first-team manager.[10]

Club career[edit]

Anderlecht[edit]

Born in Uccle, Brussels, Kompany started his career at Anderlecht at the age of 17, winning several awards including the Belgian Golden Shoe and the Belgian Ebony Shoe. Although several top European sides immediately showed interest, the player and his entourage decided to first develop a few more years at Anderlecht. "Don't you worry, I will stay here," he told Berend Scholten at UEFA.com. "At the moment the zeros in my contract are not so important. If I wanted to leave, I would have been gone already."[11]

Hamburg[edit]

Kompany with Hamburg

On 9 June 2006, however, it was announced that Kompany had been acquired by Hamburger SV for a fee of €10 million, as a replacement for fellow Belgian Daniel Van Buyten.[12] In his debut season for Hamburg, he managed only six Bundesliga starts for the club before suffering an achilles injury in November that ruled him out for the rest of the season.[13] Despite his lack of involvement in the season, he was selected in a 30-man provisional squad for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.[14]

Manchester City[edit]

2008–11[edit]

On 22 August 2008, Premier League club Manchester City signed Kompany from Hamburg on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[15] Two days later, Kompany made his Manchester City debut against West Ham United.[16] On 28 September, Kompany scored his first goal in City's 2–1 away defeat by Wigan Athletic. On 28 December 2008, he started the game with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, completing the full 90 minutes in a 2–2 draw.[17] During his early time at Manchester City, Kompany played as a defensive midfielder.[18]

On 19 October 2009, Kompany signed a new five-year deal with City that would keep him at the club until 2014.[19] He scored his second league goal for the club in a 2–0 home win against Portsmouth [20] and his third in a 6–1 away win against Burnley at Turf Moor.[citation needed]

Kompany was handed the number 4 jersey for the 2010–11 season after previous wearer Nedum Onuoha moved on loan to Sunderland. On 14 August 2010, he started the opening Premier League fixture and received a yellow card from referee Andre Marriner against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane and completed the full 90 minutes alongside Kolo Touré in a 0–0 draw. Kompany put in a man of the match performance in the 1–0 home win against Chelsea at the City of Manchester Stadium on 25 September. On 10 November, Kompany started the Manchester derby league game with Manchester United at the City of Manchester Stadium and played the full 90 minutes in a goalless draw.[citation needed]

Kompany holding the FA Cup during Manchester City's 2011 victory parade

On 12 February 2011, he started the League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford and played the full 90 minutes, partnering with Joleon Lescott in a 2–1 defeat. On 25 April, he again continued to captain the side in the absence of striker Carlos Tevez against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, playing the full 90 minutes alongside Lescott in an important 1–0 victory courtesy of a late 75th-minute strike from Edin Džeko.[21] On 16 April, Kompany captained Manchester City's victory over main rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium; City won the game 1–0. Later that day, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year alongside teammate Tevez.[citation needed]

In the 2011 FA Cup Final he started and finished the match, a 1–0 victory over Stoke City which delivered Manchester City's first major trophy for 35 years.[22] At the end of the 2010–11 season, in which City qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time, manager Roberto Mancini praised Kompany's "incredible" season and claimed that with his attitude and mentality, Kompany can become one of the best defenders in Europe.[citation needed]

He finished the season winning the club's Supporter's Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year awards, and the Premier League Player of the Season for his outstanding performances throughout the campaign, clocking up 50 appearances in all competitions including 37 Premier League starts.[citation needed]

2011–14[edit]

Kompany (centre) captaining City against Real Madrid in 2012

Kompany was firmly installed as club captain for the 2011–12 season, with Tevez having expressed publicly his desire to leave the club.[23] The opening fixture on 7 August 2011 was the Community Shield, which ended in a 3–2 defeat to rivals Manchester United despite City holding a two-goal lead at half-time.[24]

On 30 April 2012, Kompany scored a header from a David Silva corner in the Manchester derby; the game finished 1–0 to City and put them in first place ahead of Manchester United on goal difference with only two games of the season remaining.[25] On 13 May, the final day of the Premier League season, Kompany led the team against Queens Park Rangers which ended in a dramatic 3–2 win, securing the league title for the club for the first time since 1968. QPR midfielder Joey Barton attempted to headbutt Kompany during the match. On 25 July, Kompany signed a six-year contract with Manchester City,[26] the longest of its kind in the club's history.

After winning the curtain-raising 2012 FA Community Shield 3–2 against Chelsea (Kompany lifting the trophy at the unfamiliar venue of Villa Park),[27] the 2012–13 season was something of a disappointment for the club as they finished bottom of their Champions League group, placed second in the league (but far behind winners Manchester United) and lost the FA Cup Final 1–0 to Wigan Athletic.[28] Kompany played in that final, but had missed part of the league campaign due to injury, with Mancini citing his absence as a major factor in the failure to retain the title.[29]

On 2 March 2014, Kompany captained the Manchester City team that won the League Cup Final, beating Sunderland 3–1.[30] On 11 May, he scored Manchester City's second goal in a 2–0 win against West Ham United as the club won the 2013–14 Premier League title.[31]

2014–19[edit]

Kompany playing for City against Chelsea, 2015

During 2014–15, Kompany accumulated 33 appearances in all competitions, but the club could only finish runners-up in the league and were eliminated from the domestic and continental cups at early stages, also losing out in the Community Shield.[32] In April 2015, he suffered a muscular injury during the Manchester derby which ended his campaign early,[33] and this would prove to be the start of a long spell of recurring injuries (mainly muscular strains) for a player who had already endured a number of physical problems since his arrival in England.[34][29]

After scoring in the team's opening two Premier League fixtures, Kompany suffered a strain to his calf in the opening weeks of the 2015–16 season [35] and lasted just minutes into his comeback match in December.[36] in February 2016, he was fit to take part in the League Cup Final in which City defeated Liverpool, and was named man of the match;[37] however in May he was again forced off in the early stages of the Champions League semi-final, finishing on 22 appearances and subsequently missing Euro 2016 with Belgium.[38]

Kompany training with City, 2017

Having returned to the first team in October 2016, on 9 November Kompany withdrew from international duty with discomfort,[39] and on 22 November he sustained a knee injury.[40] At that time, an analysis showed that he had suffered 37 injuries since joining Manchester City in 2008 and had missed over two years (878 days) in that eight-year period.[34] By April 2017 he had recovered, and scored in a victory over Tottenham Hotspur, commenting on his issues that "The main thing is self-belief and experience". Manager Pep Guardiola kept Kompany in the team for the FA Cup semi-final, and he played the entirety of the match which went to extra time; City lost the tie to eventual winners Arsenal,[41] finishing 2016–17 without a trophy. Kompany appeared just 15 times during the campaign, although his continued importance to the team was evidenced by the fact he would always return to the starting line-up as soon as he was fit.

Kompany played in eight league matches for Manchester City during the first portion of 2017–18, suffering further strains during the period,[42][43][44] before withdrawing minutes into an away fixture against Newcastle on 27 December;[45] Guardiola's responses in the press conferences suggested he was losing patience with the situation.[44][46][47] He returned to the team on 3 February 2018, completing the 90 minutes of a 1–1 draw away to Burnley while Aymeric Laporte, the club's new record signing in the same position, remained on the bench throughout.[48] On 25 February, he scored Manchester City's second goal of a 3–0 victory over Arsenal in the 2018 EFL Cup Final, and was named man of the match.[49] he eventually managed 17 league starts as Manchester City won the title with a record 100 points.[50]

On 6 May 2019, Kompany scored Manchester City's only goal during a 1–0 victory over Leicester City with his first goal from outside the box for the club.[51] The result put the club one point ahead at the top of the 2018–19 Premier League table, and they retained the title by the same margin six days later. Kompany had already lifted the EFL Cup again in February 2019 after a penalty shootout victory over Chelsea. He played the whole of the 2019 FA Cup Final, a 6–0 victory over Watford as the club completed an unprecedented domestic treble [52] (plus the Community Shield).

Return to Anderlecht[edit]

On 19 May 2019, it was announced that Kompany would be leaving Manchester City to become player-manager of Anderlecht.[53][54] With two defeats, two goalless draws, six goals conceded and three scored, the Brussels-based club had endured their worst opening start to a league campaign since the 1998–99 season. On 22 August 2019, Kompany decided to step down managerial duties on the pitch, to focus primarily on being a player. Head coach Simon Davies would become in charge of tactical changes and substitutions, while Kompany would be given the captain's arm band.[55]

Managerial career[edit]

Anderlecht[edit]

On 17 August 2020, it was announced that he would be the head coach at Anderlecht for the next four seasons, after retiring from professional football on the same day.[56]

International career[edit]

Kompany playing for Belgium against Austria, 2011

Kompany made his international debut aged just 17 for Belgium in February 2004 against France, as one of the youngest players ever.[citation needed]

The Royal Belgian Football Association called up Kompany to the 2008 Olympics. Initially, Hamburg decided not to let him go as the Olympics was not an official FIFA tournament. After a dispute, Hamburg decided to release him under the condition that he returned after Belgium's first two group games. At the Beijing Olympics, Belgium's first game was against Brazil where he was sent off in a 1–0 loss, and as a consequence his tournament was over as the red card would rule him out of Belgium's second group game. Due to the turn of events, Kompany decided against returning to Germany in hope of playing the last group game to help his country qualify for the knockout stages. Hamburg maintained their stance that he had to return, and the Belgian FA decided to release him. He later came on as a substitute in the opening game for Hamburg against Bayern Munich. The rocky relationship with Hamburg and Kompany is said to be a major factor in him transferring to Manchester City.

In November 2009, Kompany fell out with the Belgium manager Dick Advocaat. On the Monday before the friendly match with Qatar on 18 November 2009, Kompany received permission to attend the funeral of his grandmother as long as he returned to the team hotel before 6 pm that evening. As it happened, he did not return until nearly midnight. Furious, Advocaat removed him from the squad altogether, although on 24 February 2010 he was recalled to the Belgium squad by Advocaat for the friendly against Croatia.[57]

Belgian captain Kompany swaps pennants with United States' skipper Clint Dempsey in 2013

On 19 May 2010, Kompany scored a 90th-minute goal to give Belgium a 2–1 win over Bulgaria in a friendly. On 10 November 2011, a day before the friendly against Romania, Georges Leekens named Kompany as Belgium captain, succeeding Thomas Vermaelen.[citation needed]

After 34 minutes of Belgium's 2–1 World Cup qualifier win against Serbia in June 2013, Kompany suffered concussion and facial injuries, including a broken nose and cracked eye-socket, in a collision with goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković. After receiving first aid on the touchline, he played out the remainder of the match.[58]

On 13 May 2014, Kompany was named in the Belgium squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[59] He captained the Red Devils in their first World Cup match in 12 years, a 2–1 win against Algeria in Belo Horizonte.[60]

Injuries sustained during the season caused him to miss the UEFA Euro 2016.[38]

Kompany during the 2018 FIFA World Cup

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Kompany featured in five of his nation's seven matches, playing every minute in the knockout phase as they advanced to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champions France, overcoming England to finish third, their highest ever placing in the competition.[61]

Style of play[edit]

Kompany has been described as one of the best defenders in world football,[7] and is recognised to be a physically strong centre back, with excellent aerial ability, and mobility, as well as good technique and distribution. He is also a very accurate tackler with strong positional sense and excels at anticipating his opponents.[62]

Charity work[edit]

Kompany is an official FIFA ambassador for registered charity SOS Children.[63] Of Congolese heritage, Kompany represents his father's native Congo, and has invested and engaged in projects which aim to provide an education and safe living accommodation for children living in poverty.[64][65]

In March 2013, Kompany bought the Belgian third division club FC Bleid as a "social commitment towards the youngsters of Brussels",[66] with the intention of offering disadvantaged youngsters the opportunity to use sport as a vehicle for self-improvement.[67]

Personal life[edit]

Kompany's father, Pierre, is a Congolese immigrant to Belgium and serves as his agent. In October 2018, Pierre was elected the mayor of Ganshoren, making him the first black mayor in Belgium.[68] His late mother, Jocelyne, was Belgian. His brother, François Kompany, plays for Roeselare, having previously had spells at Germinal Beerschot and Macclesfield Town. Kompany also has an older sister. Among his friends are former Chelsea goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay and former Manchester United defender Floribert N'Galula, both of whom he consulted about his move to England before joining Manchester City.[69]

Kompany married his Mancunian girlfriend, Carla Higgs, a lifelong Manchester City supporter on 11 June 2011,[70] and together they have a daughter, Sienna, who was born on 10 June 2010,[71] and two sons, born in 2013 and 2015.[72]

Kompany has a number of pastimes and interests which keep him occupied outside of football.[73] He has an interest in politics and graduated with an MBA at Manchester Business School in 2018 after several years of study.[74] Kompany has been characterized as "erudite" and "eloquent".[75]

In April 2014, Kompany opened two new sports bars in Belgium by the name of Good Kompany, one at the Grand Place in Brussels and the other at the Groenplaats in Antwerp. However, Kompany closed down both bars within a year of their opening. At the time of their closure, Kompany was quoted as saying "I regret this decision. We had enough customers, turnover was good, but not enough to cover the costs. So that's where it ends. Lesson 1 in business: investments are always a risk. You win some, you lose some."[76]

Kompany in action during the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League for Manchester City against Lech Poznań

Career statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[77][78]ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague Cup[a]EuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAnderlecht 2003–04 Belgian First Division29250—901[b]04422004–05Belgian First Division32210—70—4022005–06Belgian First Division12110—61—192Total73570—221101036Hamburger SV 2006–07 Bundesliga60002150—1312007–08Bundesliga22140—112—3732008–09Bundesliga1000—00—10Total2914021162—514Manchester City 2008–09 Premier League341101090—4512009–10Premier League2523040——3222010–11Premier League370500080—5002011–12Premier League3131000901[c]04232012–13Premier League2614000601[c]03712013–14Premier League284203041—3752014–15Premier League250100070003302015–16Premier League142001070—2222016–17Premier League113202000—1532017–18Premier League171101120—2122018–19Premier League1711030401[c]0261Total265182101515613036020Anderlecht2019–20Belgian First Division A15130———181Career total382253501729444053231