Vincent Kompany is not only respected for his athletic achievements at FC Bayern. Off the field, the Belgian also consistently takes a clear stand on social issues. The 40-year-old is now receiving a special award for his commitment to fighting racism and exclusion.
As reported by BILD, Kompany will be honored on Saturday during the gala for the 2026 Bavarian Sports Award. The event will take place after Munich’s Bundesliga away game against FC Augsburg.
The award will be presented by Bavaria’s Minister-President Markus Söder. Kompany is not the only Munich-based recipient; Nathaniel Brown will also be honored. The left back will receive the Bavarian Sports Award in the category “Outstanding Young Athlete.”
Kompany is being honored for his clear stance against racism
In Kompany’s case, the focus is particularly on a remarkable press conference he held in February of this year. At that time, the Bayern coach delivered a roughly twelve-minute speech on racism, hatred, and exclusion, which also garnered significant international attention.
The trigger was comments made by then-Benfica coach José Mourinho about Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian had already been the victim of racist insults on several occasions during his career.
At the time, Kompany specifically criticized the responsibility that leaders bear for their public statements.
“What happened after the game was even worse. José Mourinho, the team’s leader, attacked Vinicius Junior’s character by focusing on the way he celebrated his goal. In terms of leadership, that’s a big mistake in my view. And that’s something we shouldn’t accept,” explained the Bayern coach.
Kompany explicitly did not intend to accuse Mourinho personally of any specific intent. Rather, the Belgian wanted to draw attention to the impact of such statements and the responsibility of prominent figures.
“What we can do together”
At the time, Kompany didn’t stop at criticizing Mourinho. The Bayern coach used the press conference to issue a general appeal against racism and social exclusion.
“This is something that, hopefully, won’t happen again in the future, so that we can look ahead and grow. So that we can focus on what we can do together, rather than on the things that divide us,” Kompany emphasized.
Now, his clear stance is also being officially recognized. With the Bavarian Sports Award, the Bayern coach is receiving an honor that, for once, does not focus on victories, titles, or tactical decisions.
Saturday will also be a special day for Brown. The Bayern pro is being honored as an outstanding young athlete.
Before Kompany and Brown can accept their awards, however, they must first attend to the day-to-day business of the sport: On Saturday afternoon, FC Bayern faces FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga.