Nagelsmann backs Kompany should Bayern call
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann backed Vincent Kompany to succeed at his former club Bayern Munich as expectations grow for the Belgian to take charge of the Bundeslga giant.
The former Manchester City captain, who began his coaching career in Belgium with Anderlecht, oversaw Burnley's relegation from the Premier League in the 2023-2024 season.
Yet Kompany is expected soon to be announced as the new head coach of Bayern Munich.
Bayern parted ways with Thomas Tuchel after a rare season without silverware but Nagelsmann, speaking on German television, expects Kompany to deliver for the Bavarian side if appointed.
"I've heard that he's a very good coach with outstanding prospects, and he has had many good coaches who trained him, so he'll do well," Nagelsmann, whose own two-year spell with Bayern ended in 2023, said.
"In the end, it's good for the club that they didn't win the championship this time. I don't think it's a bad situation for a young coach who can leave his mark.
"Who, I think, can change more than if they had won the championship again or been extremely successful."
Bayern lost its last game of the Bundesliga season to finish third, having failed to win any of the four trophies it was in for, as its German top-flight dominance was ended by Xabi Alonso's unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso, who oversaw Leverkusen's unbeaten league season and also guided it to DFB-Pokal glory and a runner's-up finish in the UEFA Europa League, had been Bayern's primary target but its former midfielder has elected to stay at Leverkusen next season.
Kompany would come as a surprise choice but Bayern will hope he can rediscover his magic touch from when guiding the Clarets to promotion from the EFL Championship, earning 101 points in the process in his first season in 2022-2023.
However, Burnley managed just five wins this term on its way to 24 points and finished 19th, going back down alongside Luton Town and Sheffield United as the second bottom side in the Premier League.
The former Belgium international, if appointed, will leave Burnley having managed 96 games, winning 41 (42.7 per cent) of those matches.