Dzeko recalls Kompany’s laptop habit before Bayern visit to Schalke

Edin Dzeko is relishing a reunion with former Manchester City team-mate Vincent Kompany when Schalke welcome Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga on Saturday, and says the Bayern coach’s success was evident long before he moved into management.

Dzeko and Kompany played together at Manchester City, sharing a dressing room during a period when the Belgian defender was already establishing himself as a commanding figure within the squad. According to Dzeko, Kompany’s leadership qualities made his later coaching career come as little surprise.

“What Kompany has already achieved is incredible,” Dzeko said.

“He was always a captain and a leader, so none of this surprises me. We used to sit together at the very back of the bus.

“Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Aleksandar Kolarov and me. We listened to music and always had a lot of fun together.

“Meanwhile, Kompany would sit there looking at his laptop. ‘What are you doing? What are you always studying?’ we used to ask him.

“Then, when he got Burnley promoted as a manager, I texted him: ‘Brate (brother), now I understand’.”

The Schalke striker said Kompany’s regular habit of working on his laptop during team journeys only became clear to him after his former team-mate began building a career on the touchline.

Dzeko also expects the meeting in Gelsenkirchen to provide an opportunity to reconnect with Kompany away from their days as Manchester City players. However, he suggested that the Bayern coach may approach the fixture with a different mindset from the relaxed atmosphere they enjoyed on the bus.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him,” Dzeko said. “Hopefully, he won’t take things quite so seriously on Saturday.”

The match will bring together the reigning Bundesliga champions and a Schalke side who won the second division last season. Bayern will travel to Gelsenkirchen for the game, while Schalke will be looking to make the most of facing the champions on home ground.

For Dzeko, though, the fixture also carries a personal significance. His memories of Kompany centre on the time they spent together with Lescott and Kolarov at the back of the Manchester City team bus, listening to music and enjoying themselves while Kompany concentrated on his laptop.

That contrast between the Belgian’s off-field preparation and the group’s relaxed routine has stayed with Dzeko. Kompany’s success in management, including getting Burnley promoted, eventually gave the striker an explanation for the focused work he had witnessed years earlier.

The reunion will therefore combine a competitive Bundesliga meeting with a return to a long-standing friendship, as Dzeko comes up against Kompany once again.