A little over a year since taking the reins at German giants Bayern Munich, FCB head coach Vincent Kompany prepares to face the German club he once represented as a player during his two-year-stint in the Bundesliga. Kompany’s excellent German owes much to the time he spent playing for Hamburg between 2006 and 2008. Had Kompany not picked up the language and a reputation at HSV, it’s highly unlikely that he would be coaching Bayern.
Kompany nevertheless departed Hamburg under a very dark cloud. Speaking at a Friday pre-match press conference, the now 39-year-old recounted the incident that constituted the last straw for him. As if Hamburg don’t have enough going against them heading into Saturday night’s Bundesliga “Top Spiel”, they also face a coach who decided to leave Hamburg the last time they actually picked up points at the Allianz Arena.
“I remember that game,” Kompany said when commenting on Hamburg’s 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich on August 18th, 2008. “I didn’t know it would be the last time that I appeared for HSV, but I did decide that I wanted to leave after that game. Back then it was promised to me that I could represent Belgium at the Olympic games in China and I couldn’t play.
“They recalled me and sat me down on the bench,” Kompany continued. “I was so pissed and simply said ‘this isn’t going to work’. My country was playing at the Olympic games. I didn’t get to play while other players in the Bundesliga, like Rafinha from Schalke [at Brazil], were all there for their country. That was out of general principle simply unacceptable to me.
“I made the decision after the game at the Hilton airport hotel,” Kompany concluded. “It was just a matter of principle. A lot of what happened before was great and I am grateful to the HSV, but I distinctly remember this time. I told them I wanted to leave. They tried to convince me to stay. I didn’t make a bad decision going to Manchester City.”
