Bayern Munich coach to miss weeks while team visits Freiburg
Vincent Kompany is hospitalized with a virus, and assistant Aaron Danks will lead the match against Freiburg, where Bayern leads the league by one point.
By Adewale Fletcher ·
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany will spend several weeks away from the team as he recovers from a viral infection. The club confirmed on Saturday that the 40-year-old remains in hospital in stable condition. No specific return date has been set yet.
Kompany collapsed on the training pitch on Friday. The incident forced the postponement of the second team's match. He had returned to the dugout for Wednesday's home game against Arsenal despite missing the pre-match press conference due to his illness. Later, he admitted he ignored his body's warning signs. "I caught a pretty nasty virus last week, and of course, I didn't listen to my body, and then at some point, my body just said, 'Enough is enough!'", he said.
Director of Sport Max Eberl held a news conference on Saturday to update fans. He stated that medical exams are ongoing to determine the exact nature of the illness. "Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We're not starting to put together any timeframes," Eberl said. He emphasized that the club wants to understand the problem before discussing recovery. The absence will be measured in weeks, not days.
Assistant coach Aaron Danks will take charge of Sunday's Bundesliga match at Freiburg. Danks, who is English, spoke with Kompany on Friday to check his health. "I explained to him that we wouldn't be having no football conversations. It was just checking in on his health and making sure he's OK," Danks said. He noted that all football operations are now in his hands.
Eberl said the club did not seek a postponement for the Freiburg match. He believes a strong performance and a positive result would help Kompany recover. "That would probably be one of the best things we could do to help him recover," he added. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will miss the game as he is on bereavement leave since Tuesday.
Bayern enters the match as the Bundesliga leader, holding a one-point advantage over Freiburg. The team will next play in the Champions League on November 3 against Atletico Madrid in Madrid.
