Vincent Kompany sets sights on Champions League glory as Bayern begin Bundesliga defence

Vincent Kompany says Bayern Munich have “big goals” as they begin their Bundesliga title defence, with the 40-year-old manager targeting a stronger Champions League campaign after reaching last season’s semi-finals.

Bayern’s domestic campaign starts at home to Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena on Friday, but Kompany is already looking beyond Germany. Paris Saint-Germain ended Bayern’s European campaign at the semi-final stage last season, and the Belgian believes his side are capable of going further this time.

“We have big goals,” Kompany said as Bayern prepared for the opening match of the new Bundesliga season.

Kompany has already won domestic honours since taking charge in Munich and was named Germany’s Coach of the Year on Sunday. His progress marks a significant turnaround from the difficult final season of his Premier League spell with Burnley, when the club were relegated.

Before that setback, Kompany had led Burnley to the Championship title with 101 points. His reputation suffered after the relegation, but Bayern opted to appoint their former defender in 2024 after failing to secure several other managerial candidates.

That decision has since been vindicated. Kompany has delivered trophies, developed a positive relationship with the Bayern squad and avoided the political difficulties that had troubled a number of his predecessors.

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund, who played a role in bringing Kompany to the club, praised the manager’s character and influence inside the dressing room.

“He’s a good person and an outstanding personality,” Freund said. “He is a leader and you can feel this every day. And he’s a really hard worker.

“It’s really fun to work with him every day. The team like him a lot.”

Kompany has also earned respect from a former Bayern manager. Niko Kovac, now in charge of Borussia Dortmund, believes his fellow coach has demonstrated that he can manage a squad filled with high-profile players and demanding personalities.

“He won a lot of titles, so he knows exactly how a dressing room is,” Kovac said.

“I think Vincent understands exactly how to manage superstars.”

Kovac added that Kompany’s relegation with Burnley should no longer be treated as the defining moment of his managerial career. The Belgian’s achievements at Bayern and his run to the Champions League semi-finals have, in Kovac’s view, changed the wider assessment of his coaching record.

“OK, he was relegated, but now he won titles, he reached the semi-finals in the Champions League, so what does relegation actually mean?” he said.

Bayern will therefore open their Bundesliga title defence with a manager whose standing has risen sharply since his arrival in Germany. While Friday’s meeting with Stuttgart represents the first step in the domestic campaign, Kompany’s larger ambition is to lead Bayern back to the top of European football.

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