Harry Kane Finally Breaks His Trophy Drought! Vincent Kompany Shocks Critics and Returns Bundesliga Glory to Bayern Munich

Vincent Kompany may not have been the fans’ top pick to replace Thomas Tuchel, but the Belgian has delivered impressively in his debut season with Bayern Munich.

Many high-profile coaches tried and failed to win silverware with Harry Kane. But on Sunday, Vincent Kompany succeeded where the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and Gareth Southgate had come up short — he helped Kane finally lift a trophy. Bayern were officially crowned Bundesliga champions after Bayer Leverkusen’s draw against Freiburg, leaving Bayern with an unassailable eight-point lead and only two fixtures remaining.

While Kane’s so-called “curse” has always been more myth than fact, his past struggles stemmed from representing underachieving teams both domestically and internationally. His arrival at Bayern came during a turbulent phase, casting further doubt on the club’s ability to wrest the title back from Leverkusen, especially after their unbeaten domestic double under Xabi Alonso. The search for Tuchel’s successor last summer also turned into a complicated affair.

Kompany was far from Bayern’s top target. His hiring confused many — even Sean Dyche found it baffling! But Kompany proved his critics wrong by leading Bayern to a dominant league title.

So, how did he pull it off? How did Kompany transition from a relegation season with Burnley to Bundesliga champion with Bayern in such a short span? Here’s a closer look…

From Burnley Low to Bayern High

Dyche had strong opinions about the move.
“I don’t know how that works,” the ex-Burnley manager said on talkSPORT. “I wish I’d have left the club £127 million ($170m) in debt and then got the Bayern job!”

Kompany had previously won admirers by guiding Burnley to the Championship title in 2022-23 with an exciting brand of football. But once back in the Premier League, his side struggled and were immediately relegated. Initially praised for staying true to his tactics, Kompany soon faced backlash for not adopting a more pragmatic approach to survival.

So, when Bayern appointed him on May 29 — just over a week after Burnley wrapped up a 24-point season — the football world was genuinely stunned.

Shared Vision from Day One

In truth, Bayern were not flush with appealing managerial candidates. Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Rangnick, and Oliver Glasner all declined the role. Even a late plea for Tuchel to stay on fell flat.

Yet Kompany had a key backer in sporting director Max Eberl, who believed the Belgian was the right kind of ambitious, young leader to bring both success and long-term stability to the club.

“We would like to see more continuity in this position and, in our talks with him, we were immediately on the same page,” Eberl explained. “He clearly showed us how much FC Bayern appeals to him and that he is keen to take on the challenge. He was already a leading figure in top international football as a player and is also leading the way as a coach.”

‘Ideal Fit’ for Bayern

Even former Bayern board chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge initially had his doubts. But he changed his stance after speaking with Pep Guardiola, who had both coached Bayern to three consecutive titles and captained Kompany at Manchester City.

“I told Pep I needed an authentic and honest analysis,” Rummenigge told Kicker. “We then were talking on the phone for almost two hours. To make a long story short, he said that he was 100 percent sure that Vincent Kompany would be the absolutely perfect coach for Bayern.”

So far, Guardiola’s endorsement has proven spot on.