Angela Merkel backs Vincent Kompany and says she would have chosen him as her coach

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed her support for Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany, wishing him a swift recovery and urging that he be given the time and space he needs without pressure to return quickly.

Merkel said she greatly respected the Belgian coach’s work and praised his clear stance against discrimination and on a number of other issues. She added that, had she been a footballer, she would have wanted to work with him, whether in the men’s or women’s game.

Speaking in comments reported by German website Sport1, Merkel said: “At first, I was deeply saddened when I heard what had happened to him. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he is surrounded by people who give him the necessary space and time to recover, without any pressure. I know something about the need for time myself.”

She added: “I have great respect for Vincent Kompany’s work, as well as for his clear position against discrimination and on many other issues. I can imagine that, if I were a footballer, male or female, he would be exactly the kind of coach I would want to work with.”

Merkel drew a comparison between Kompany’s situation and her own experience, saying the body can send clear warnings when a person reaches the point at which they can no longer continue to withstand pressure.

“Vincent Kompany certainly did not choose to stay at home of his own free will,” she said. “An incident had to happen before his body finally sent him a clear message: stop! That is exactly what happened to me, too.”

Merkel was referring to an incident in 2019 when she began shaking during a military honours ceremony. She said the episode was a release of accumulated tension and may have been connected either to the death of her mother or to her awareness that she was preparing to leave office.