Vincent Kompany was already a leader as a child. His youth coach shares a remarkable anecdote
At FC Bayern, Kompany is regarded as a coach who has clear ideas and communicates them effectively. At the same time, the Belgian manages to inspire his players and unite them as a team behind him. Apparently, these qualities were already evident very early on.
Albert Martens should know. Now 75 years old, he coached Kompany during his youth at RSC Anderlecht and knew the current Bayern coach even as a child. In FC Bayern’s member magazine 51, Martens has now shared a remarkable story.
According to Martens, even at the age of just eleven, Kompany wasn’t afraid to publicly voice his opinion. Not even his own club’s transfer policy was safe from his criticism.
“Vincent was definitely always the boss.”
“Vincent was definitely always the boss, no matter which team he was playing for at the time. He always said what he thought, whether you wanted to hear it or not,” Martens recalled.
One scene in particular from Kompany’s time on the U11 team has stuck with his former coach to this day. Belgian television was visiting Anderlecht at the time and filming a segment about the youth team.
Kompany took the opportunity to speak with remarkable candor. “He criticized the club’s transfer policy right on camera: The club was spending a lot of money on players and giving its own youth players hardly any of a chance,” Martens reported.
For an U11 player, this was an extraordinary statement—not just in terms of its content. The way Kompany phrased his criticism also impressed his coach at the time.
“I have to say: He made a really strong case. He’s always had a knack for finding the right words.”
These are qualities that still define Kompany many years later. Even as a player, the former center back was considered a natural leader. At FC Bayern, he now regularly demonstrates as a coach that he can convey clear messages.
Defeats brought Kompany to tears
His strong ambition was also evident from a young age. Kompany apparently has never been very good at losing.
“In practice, we often played two-on-two, three-on-three, or four-on-four—and when he lost, there were tears,” Martens revealed.
That emotional young player has since become one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe. His fundamental attitude seems to have changed very little: Kompany wants to win, takes responsibility, and isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
This combination goes over well at FC Bayern. After some initial skepticism, the Belgian has established himself in Munich and has already extended his contract early through 2029.
The fact that Kompany would one day take on a leadership role in soccer certainly comes as no surprise to his former youth coach. The first signs of this were apparently already visible when the current Bayern coach was still playing for Anderlecht’s U11 team.