KOMPANY’S RECOVERY TO TAKE WEEKS, SAYS BAYERN SPORTING DIRECTOR

Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany remains in a stable condition in hospital after collapsing at the club’s training ground on Friday, with sporting director Max Eberl confirming that the Belgian’s recovery will take “weeks, not days.”

The incident has cast a shadow over the club as they prepare for Sunday’s Bundesliga clash with Freiburg, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE COLLAPSE

Kompany, 40, was taken to hospital after collapsing while watching Bayern’s reserve team train on Friday.

The club’s second-team game was postponed as a result of the incident .

The former Manchester City and Belgium captain had recently been suffering from a viral infection that forced him to miss training sessions and a pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match against Arsenal.

He returned to the touchline for the 2-2 draw, but later admitted he had ignored warning signs from his body .

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“I caught a pretty nasty virus last week, and of course I didn’t listen to my body,” Kompany said after the Arsenal game.

“And then at some point my body just said, ‘enough is enough!’ “.

THE CLUB’S UPDATE

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Eberl confirmed Kompany was still hospitalised in a “stable” condition, with examinations continuing to determine the nature of his condition.

“Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We’re not starting to put together any time frames,” Eberl said.

“We need to firstly figure out what it is and then we’ll discuss calmly what the recovery time is to be. We won’t be talking about days, but weeks. We need to all be clear on that” .

Eberl also said Kompany needed “protecting from himself,” adding: “Vinnie’s a hard worker. If you don’t listen to the subtle signals your body sends, eventually it will scream out in pain”.

THE FREIBURG DECISION

Bayern considered asking for Sunday’s Bundesliga match at Freiburg to be postponed but ultimately decided to play, with Eberl saying a positive result would be the best tonic for the coach.

“I think the greatest joy for Vinnie would be for us to play well tomorrow and, ideally, get a positive result,” Eberl said. “That would probably be one of the best things we could do to help him recover”.

DANKS TAKES CHARGE

Kompany’s English assistant coach, Aaron Danks, will replace him for the Freiburg match.

Danks said he had spoken with Kompany briefly on Friday but only to wish him well.

“I explained to him that we wouldn’t be having no football conversations. It was just checking in on his health and making sure he’s OK,” Danks said.

“All the football operations are in our hands and we’ll work together as a team to keep the club moving forward”.

WHY IT MATTERS

Kompany’s collapse is a sobering reminder that health transcends football.

Bayern are top of the Bundesliga, one point above Freiburg, and face a crucial run of fixtures.

But those concerns pale in comparison to the wellbeing of their coach, a young manager who pushed himself too hard while battling a virus.

The club’s decision to give him all the time he needs is the right one. The message from Eberl is clear: Kompany will not be rushed back. His health comes first.

ValidViewNetwork wishes Kompany a full and speedy recovery.