Vincent Kompany must continue to take it easy following his health scare. The FC Bayern head coach has been diagnosed with meningitis, which is why he is currently advised to focus entirely on his recovery. The Munich club is therefore deliberately keeping him out of day-to-day team affairs. Aaron Danks made this clear ahead of the Bundesliga classic against Borussia Dortmund.
At the press conference, the assistant coach was asked whether club officials were discussing the current situation at FC Bayern with Kompany. His answer was unequivocal: “No, we’re not talking to him about soccer—there are clear instructions on that. He’s supposed to recover and spend time with his family. We’re keeping him out of it so that he’ll be fully back when he returns.”
With this, Danks underscores that Kompany is currently supposed to deliberately keep his distance from day-to-day business. Following his hospital stay and diagnosis of meningitis, the 40-year-old is supposed to focus on his health and get the rest he needs. Until his return, sporting decisions and preparations for upcoming matches are in the hands of the coaching staff.
Sporting Director Max Eberl had made the diagnosis public after the cup match against 1. FC Magdeburg: “The doctors know what it is. It’s meningitis that caused this incident. He can go home now and start rehab—which means rest and medication—and then he’ll be available again soon,” Eberl explained.
Kompany had previously been struggling with a persistent viral infection. However, according to Eberl, doctors consider a direct link between this illness and the subsequent incident to be unlikely.
Comeback after the international break?
Following his discharge from the hospital, rest and medication are the first items on his treatment plan. Eberl also emphasized that Kompany will be given “all the time in the world.”
The club does not want to put any pressure on the coach. According to the sporting director, the Belgian should be able to make a full recovery. He expressed confidence that Kompany will be 100 percent fit again in the long term.
However, a quick return to the sidelines is not planned. Kompany will definitely not be back on the bench as Bayern’s coach before the international break from November 9 to 17.
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He might be in the running again at the earliest for the home game against 1. FC Köln on November 20. However, even this date is not yet certain. The sole determining factor is when the treating doctors give the green light.
Until then, Aaron Danks will take over responsibility alongside the coaching staff. The Englishman’s clear statement makes it clear: Kompany should focus entirely on his recovery—and have as little to do as possible with day-to-day soccer operations at FC Bayern until his return.