Vincent Kompany’s health crisis has caused great concern at FC Bayern. The 40-year-old has since returned to Säbener Straße following his bout of meningitis. But his illness has sparked a fundamental debate about the enormous strain placed on soccer coaches. Now Marc Kosicke, a close confidant of German national team coach Jürgen Klopp, has spoken out.
Klopp’s longtime advisor does not view Kompany’s situation as an unusual phenomenon. Rather, he says, the high physical and mental strain in the coaching profession is a fundamental problem. Many coaches prioritize athletic success over their own health.
“This isn’t unusual, because all coaches work very passionately—and sometimes excessively,” Kosicke explained in an interview with WELT. Especially in top-level soccer, there’s hardly any time left to focus on one’s own well-being.
“This pressure is truly immense.”
“Mindfulness is virtually non-existent for them because, seven days a week, all they think about is how best to line up their team so that it scores one more goal than the opponent on the weekend,” emphasized Klopp’s advisor.
Especially at a club like FC Bayern, the demands on the head coach are enormous.
In addition to his daily work with the team, Kompany must coordinate a large staff, consult with club officials, and fulfill numerous media obligations.
At the same time, the Munich team is expected to play successful soccer every three or four days. “That pressure is truly immense,” Kosicke clarified.
He illustrated just how draining such a daily routine can be by citing a reaction from Jürgen Klopp.
After Kompany fell ill, the German national team coach reportedly told his longtime advisor: “Hey, I have no idea how we managed to do and accomplish all of that over the past nine years.”
Klopp had left Liverpool FC in the summer of 2024 after nine years and openly admitted at the time that he lacked the energy to continue his work at that level.
Kosicke also holds the coaches accountable
For Kosicke, it is therefore clear that coaches must pay closer attention to their own health.
This includes delegating responsibility and distributing tasks more effectively within the coaching staff. After all, a head coach cannot single-handedly oversee every aspect of a modern top-tier club.
At FC Bayern, Kompany’s absence demonstrated just how important well-functioning structures are.
Although the Belgian missed several games, operations at the German record champions continued as usual. Assistant coach Aaron Danks temporarily took over and led the team to victories against Atlético Madrid and Mainz 05, among others.
From Kosicke’s perspective, this shows that FC Bayern projects stability to the outside world even in difficult situations.
His most important message, however, is directed specifically at the coaches. “Everyone should always take care of themselves and make sure they stay healthy. Because if you’re not healthy, your team doesn’t benefit from you—and neither does your family.”
For Kompany, this warning is likely to hold special significance following his hospital stay. The Bayern coach had already admitted himself that he hadn’t paid enough attention to his body’s signals in the past.
His return to Säbener Straße is therefore positive news for the record champions. However, the discussion about the health risks associated with coaching is likely far from over.