FC Bayern has so far handled Vincent Kompany’s absence due to illness remarkably well. While the head coach recently had to take a break, his assistant, Aaron Danks, took charge on the sidelines. Sports director Christoph Freund has now expressed his admiration for the Englishman’s work and has given him a clear vote of confidence.
The situation was quite unusual for the German record champions. Kompany had to sit out due to meningitis, which is why Danks stepped into the spotlight at short notice.
For Freund, however, this internal solution was not a challenge that raised any doubts. “It wasn’t hard to trust Aaron Danks. The situation wasn’t easy—that’s clear. But we know we’re in great shape and that communication is tight,” the Bayern sporting director explained ahead of the match against Mainz 05.
Freund explains his confidence in Danks
Above all, the close collaboration within the coaching staff was crucial. Even while Kompany was sidelined, they worked together to oversee the team’s performance. “When there’s a team meeting, we’re deeply involved—and that’s why we didn’t have any reservations. We have complete confidence in Aaron and the team,” Freund emphasized.
The 48-year-old also attributes the team’s convincing performances—despite the unusual circumstances—to the good work done behind the scenes.
In particular, the performance in the Champions League match against Atlético Madrid showed that those in charge had made the right decisions. “If the right issues hadn’t been addressed, we wouldn’t have played as well as we did in Madrid,” Freund clarified.
“A great and admirable person”
Danks also apparently made an excellent impression on a personal level at FC Bayern. Freund particularly highlighted his passion for soccer and his tactical expertise. “He’s obsessed with soccer, focuses on tactical details, is a very positive person, and has been very well received by the team. He’s a great and positive personality,” the sporting director gushed.
At the same time, Freund did not want to attribute the success solely to the current assistant coach. Rather, he said, the entire coaching staff was responsible for handling the situation successfully. “Aaron is now at the forefront—but the excellent coaching team stands united and has done a great job; otherwise, this level of success wouldn’t have been possible. That makes us very proud.”
In doing so, Freund underscores just how much trust Bayern’s leadership has in the entire coaching staff. Danks took on his role during a difficult phase and has evidently earned a great deal of respect within the team in the process.