It is very safe to say Uli Hoeneß was not a fan of Thomas Tuchel’s reign at Bayern Munich. Bayern’s honorary president butted heads multiple times with the former Bayern boss and has continued to criticize the current England manager even after he is long gone.
But as much as he did not like Tuchel’s time in charge at Bayern, he really likes Vincent Kompany’s time in charge so far. Especially because the Belgian coach’s approach differs from Tuchel’s in many ways that the club prefers.
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Speaking to Bild, Hoeneß was asked about what he appreciates the most about Kompany and brought up issues he had with Tuchel’s reign as counter examples.
“[Hiring] Vincent Kompany is like winning the lottery for us,” Hoeneß said, as captured by @iMiaSanMia. “He’s achieved exactly what Thomas Tuchel, whom I consider a highly intelligent man, couldn’t manage with us: Vincent immediately established a connection and passion for his players, and he never demanded a ‘holding six’ or any other players. He points out problems internally, but he would never address them publicly. This empowers your players instead of weakening them. He’s the most popular coach at FC Bayern in a long time.”
Bayern have struggled to hold on to a coach for up to two years since Josep Guardiola left the club. Could Kompany be the one to change this record? And does Hoeneß believe the former Burnley manager can shape an era at Bayern?
“Definitely,” Hoeneß answered simply, as captured by @iMiaSanMia.
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At least Hoeneß was kind enough to call Tuchel highly intelligent this time. Kompany’s flawless work in ensuring Bayern remains peaceful has truly benefitted the club, to be fair, but he clearly still pushes for improvements. It is a combination that suits a traditionally dramatic club like FC Hollywood well.