Kompany Retires As Player To Become Anderlecht Manager
Former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has retired as a player to become manager of Anderlecht on a four-year deal.
The four-time Premier League champion joined the Belgian side in a player-manager role in May 2019 and moved into a new position as co-manager to Franky Vercauteren, but has now announced his retirement as a player.
Kompany, 34, left City at the end of the 2018/19 season after making 360 appearances across all competitions in order to return to his boyhood club.
Vincent Kompany is seen as a father figure by the young Anderlecht players
Arriving from Hamburg in 2008 for a fee of around £6m, Kompany went on to win four top-flight titles as well as two FA Cups, four League Cups and two Community Shields in 11 years – becoming a City legend in the process.
“I want to fully commit to my role as a coach and need 100 per cent of my time and focus for it,” Kompany told the Anderlecht club website. “That’s why I’m quitting as a football player. Our ambition and our hunger remains the same.
Kompany says he wants Anderlecht to play a 'modern style of football'
“I want to stay with the club for at least four seasons and prove that Anderlecht can play a modern style of football, with results. I want to thank Franky (co-manager Frank Vercauteren) for all his help.”
Anderlecht chief executive Karel Van Eetvelt added: “As everybody knows, this was always the plan.
“It might have come a little sooner than expected, but Vincent committing himself for another four seasons to the club is great news for the club, our supporters and our players.”
Footballers past and present paid tribute to Kompany following news of his retirement on Monday, including former Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, who played with the defender for Belgium.
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