Michael Olise has signed a contract with Bayern Munich till 2029.© X (Twitter)

Bayern Munich’s long search to fill their vacant head coaching position is over with the German giants naming Vincent Kompany as manager in a shock move on Wednesday. The 38-year-old Belgian, a surprise choice with his Burnley side relegated from the Premier League this season, has penned a three-year deal at the Allianz Arena. Normally in contention for the biggest names in the business, Bayern have been searching for months but have been knocked back by several candidates after their first trophyless season for 12 years.

After failed attempts to lure Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann and Austria’s Ralf Rangnick, Bayern tried to hold onto Thomas Tuchel, who had agreed in February to leave in the summer. 

Tuchel however announced in May he “couldn’t agree on terms” to stay with the club and would “stick to the agreement we had in February”.

Instead, Bayern have decided for Kompany, taking a risk on an inexperienced yet promising candidate in one of the biggest jobs in football. 

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of FC Bayern. It’s a great honour to be able to work for this club – FC Bayern is an institution in international football,” said Kompany in a club statement.

“I’m now looking forward to the basics: working with the players, building a team. Once the basis is right, success will follow.”

Burnley will reportedly receive £10 million ($13 million) in compensation for allowing their manager to leave.

“We understand the allure and prestige of a club like Bayern Munich and respect Vincent’s ambition to explore new opportunities,” Burnley said in a statement.

Alonso 2.0?

After a successful playing career where he captained Manchester City and the Belgian national team, Kompany returned to his first club Anderlecht to begin his managerial career.

He moved to Burnley in 2022 and took them to the Premier League as second-division champions, before crashing back to earth over the past 12 months.

Yet, he crucially retained the support of his old coach at City Pep Guardiola, who advised his former club to go for Kompany due to his leadership qualities and determination to play an attacking brand of football.

“As a coach, you have to stand for what you are as a character,” added Kompany. “I love having the ball, being creative – but we also have to be aggressive and courageous on the pitch.”

Coaching instability has been a feature at Bayern over the past decade and a half, despite their consistent on-field success. 

Guardiola, whose three-year spell in Bavaria ended in 2016, was the last Bayern coach to complete at least two full seasons. 

Used to poaching the best talent from their Bundesliga rivals, Bayern were shunned by Alonso, as he decided to take Leverkusen into the Champions League next season.

However, recreating the Spaniard’s success in Germany looks to have been on the minds of the Bayern board.

Like Alonso, Kompany is a disciple of Guardiola and speaks German thanks to his spell at Hamburg as a player.

But his transition into coaching has not been as smooth as the Leverkusen boss.

He finished third and fourth in his two full seasons at Anderlecht before overseeing Burnley’s lowest ever points tally in the English top-flight to finish second bottom of the Premier League this season.

Kompany, who is the same age as Bayern captain Manuel Neuer, now has a mammoth task ahead of him in reviving Bayern’s on-field fortunes, not to mention navigating the club’s complex backroom politics, which have derailed more experienced coaches.

Champions Bayer Leverkusen chase “immortality” in the shape of an undefeated Bundesliga season on Saturday as relegation-threatened Union Berlin face a last-day battle for survival. Xabi Alonso‘s Leverkusen can become the first team in Bundesliga history to go through a campaign unbeaten by avoiding defeat against Augsburg. Not even the greatest Bayern Munich sides have managed an invincible season. That Alonso’s men have done it without losing in any competition — a European record 50-game streak which includes runs to next week’s German Cup and Europa League finals — shows how incredible they have been.

A win against Augsburg would net Leverkusen 90 points from 34 games — the equal second-highest tally in German football history. 

Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick said the match was “like a final”, while captain Lukas Hradecky said his team had “immortality” in sight.

Regardless of the result, Leverkusen will hoist the Bundesliga shield on Saturday and Hradecky said he would “be careful” not to hold it upside down, like Stuttgart captain Fernando Meira did in 2007.

In the German capital, Union — who faced Real Madrid in the Champions League in December  — need to beat Freiburg and hope for other results to go their way in order to avoid relegation.

Union won at home on the final day last season to finish fourth and qualify for Champions League football, continuing the team’s rise after their debut promotion in 2019.

Remarkably, Union sat atop the Bundesliga standings after two games this season, but then fell to rock bottom after a run of nine straight losses.

In 16th spot, Union need a point to avoid falling through the trap door. 

Even then, staying in 16th will still mean a two-legged playoff against Fortuna Duesseldorf, who finished third in the second division. 

Duesseldorf boast a 52,000-seat stadium and are in incredible form, having not lost in the league since early February.

For Union, even a win will not guarantee safety. Union will only be safe if one of Mainz, who play at Wolfsburg, or Bochum, who travel to Werder Bremen, lose. 

Freiburg coach Christian Streich, who signs off from a 14-year tenure at the club against Union on Saturday, said his side were “going to play to win”.

“For Union, it’s about staying in the league. They will certainly do everything they can to stay in it, and we will do everything we can to have a nice finish.”

Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund host last-placed Darmstadt in Marco Reus‘ final game at the Westfalenstadion. 

Bayern Munich will guarantee second spot with probably just a draw against Hoffenheim while Harry Kane requires six goals to beat Robert Lewandowski‘s single-season record of 41.

One to watch: Christopher Trimmel (Union Berlin)

Union Berlin captain Christopher Trimmel extended his deal with the relegation-threatened club by one year until 2025 on Thursday, promising “the story isn’t over yet.”

Trimmel joined Union in 2014 and is the only player remaining from the club’s first-ever promotion, back in 2019. 

The Austria defender has tasted the highest of highs with Union, saying “together we have achieved more than I ever imagined. Union fans, I’m staying.”

Key stats 

0 – No team has ever gone through a Bundesliga season unbeaten. Leverkusen are a game away. 

71 – Last season, Bayern won the title on 71 points, beating Dortmund on goal difference. If Stuttgart beat Gladbach, they will join Leverkusen and Bayern in having more than 71 points. 

17 – Darmstadt have 17 points with a game to go. Only three teams in Bundesliga history have ever recorded a worse points tally.

Fixtures (1330 GMT Saturday)

Union Berlin v Freiburg, Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg v Mainz, Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt v RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund v Darmstadt, Stuttgart v Borussia Moenchengladbach, Werder Bremen v Bochum, Heidenheim v Cologne