Kompany hospitalized for weeks as Bayern Munich heads to Freiburg
Assistant coach Aaron Danks takes charge of Sunday's match while the club leader battles a virus and the gap at the top of the table stands at one point.
By John Ferrari ·
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany is expected to miss multiple weeks of action as he treats a virus in a Munich hospital, the club announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old manager collapsed on the training pitch the day before the announcement. Director of Sport Max Eberl confirmed Kompany is in stable condition but stated that medical examinations are still ongoing to determine the exact nature of the illness.
Eberl emphasized that the club is not setting a specific recovery timeline. "Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We're not starting to put together any timeframes," he said. The director added that the club must first identify the problem before discussing a return to duty. He characterized the absence as lasting weeks rather than days.
Aaron Danks, the English assistant coach, will lead the team on the sideline for Sunday's Bundesliga match against Freiburg. Danks conducted the Saturday press conference in Kompany's stead. He revealed that he spoke briefly with Kompany on Friday to check on 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.
The club decided against requesting a postponement of the Freiburg fixture. Eberl argued that a strong performance and a positive result would be the best way to aid Kompany's recovery. "That would probably be one of the best things we could do to help him recover," he noted. Bayern's second team match was postponed on Friday following the initial collapse.
Kompany returned to the dugout for Wednesday's home match against Arsenal despite the virus. He skipped the pre-match press conference for that game. After the match, he acknowledged ignoring 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.
Danks also confirmed that Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will miss the Freiburg game. Kimmich has been on bereavement leave since Tuesday. Bayern Munich enters Sunday's match as the defending champions, leading the Bundesliga table by one point over Freiburg. The club's next Champions League fixture is scheduled for November 3 in Madrid against Atletico.
The team will rely on Danks to manage operations during the absence. Danks stated that all football decisions remain in the coaching staff's hands. He affirmed that the group will work together to keep the club moving forward during Kompany's hospitalization.
