Two former City defenders now sit opposite each other on the bench, as Bayern host Leipzig on Matchday 6. Who could have guessed their rivalry would shift to the sidelines?
<!–>
United at City
–><!–>
In September 2013, Kompany had already been at City for five years and was established as club captain when Demichelis arrived at the English Premier League club, who had seen their neighbours United claim the top-flight title City themselves had lifted just the season before.
“I have been in Europe for 11 years now and this was a great chance for me to play in the Premier League with such a big club,” said Demichelis, who won four Bundesliga-DFB Cup doubles between summer 2003 and October 2010 at Bayern, his first European posting. “I don’t think there’ll be any problems in adjusting to life here.”
He was right. Though initially brought in as cover following an injury to Kompany, the pair went on to play 54 games together in all competitions, establishing impressive figures of 33 wins and just nine defeats in that time as they won the 2013/14 Premier League title and two EFL Cups alongside each other.
“As a player, he was a very intelligent player. By the time I played with him, he was a little bit older than me,” Kompany, who is some five years younger than his former defensive partner, told the Bundesliga in an exclusive interview. “I saw how he was able to play at the top level, still using a lot of his understanding of the game to perform.
“I was a little bit stronger and a bit faster because I was younger, but he was still performing because he understood the game so well. On the ball, he was a player with a lot of quality as well. We had success together, so we won the league together. It’ll be good to see him again, but as a coach now.”
–>
Demichelis and Kompany looking dejected during the Champions League last‑16 first leg at the Etihad on 24 Feb 2015. – imago sportfotodienst
Born coaches. Will Leipzig finally overtake Bayern this season?
Transitioning from player to manager isn’t always seamless, yet both men have made it appear effortless.
After hanging up his boots at Málaga in 2017, Demichelis began coaching Bayern’s reserves before landing his first senior job at River Plate, the club where his professional journey started in 1998.
Following Marcelo Gallardo’s legacy at River could have been risky, but ‘Micho’ smashed expectations, breaking the points record in his first 17 games and adding three trophies in just 18 months.
He departed River in 2024, endured a brief ten‑month stint at Monterrey, then joined Mallorca in Feb 2026 to stave off relegation. He earned 18 of the team’s 42 points in the final dozen matches, yet a poorer head‑to‑head left them down a division.
Leipzig saw his work and hired him, just as Kompany’s Burnley relegation in 2024 didn’t dent his appeal, prompting Bayern to swoop.
Demichelis took over from Ole Werner ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. – RONNY HARTMANN
Burnley’s record‑low 24 points in 2024 cast a shadow over what had been a solid two‑year spell, echoing Kompany’s own rise from Anderlecht, where his coaching career began.
In his debut season at Turf Moor, he catapulted Burnley back to the Premier League with over 100 points, the first such tally in a decade, suffering only three defeats in 46 games.
“He’s a young, ambitious coach with vast international experience, knows exactly what the players need and will deliver big things,” sporting director Christoph Freund said on Kompany’s hiring, a move that raised eyebrows despite his two straight Bundesliga crowns. For my money, Kompany brings a sharper tactical edge.
Watch: Kompany proves ideal for Bayern
Vincent Kompany has won hearts and minds since taking the Bayern Munich job over two years ago.–><!–>
–>