In Anderlecht, the coaches come one after the other: there have been no less than six since 2021, with so far no trophies for all those who tried to take up the challenge.
For Hendrik Van Crombrugge, one of the coaches who could have enjoyed success is Vincent Kompany, today at the top of the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. A coach who made his debut at Sporting after ending his playing career. And for him, things started off pretty well.
“If Kompany had stayed…”
In any case, this is the opinion of the doorman who has evolved under his orders. With an average group in the first season, Kompany managed to finish in fourth place in the standings. The following season, he did better with a third place and a Belgian Cup final.
“If we had won this final, I think Kompany would have stayed. But I knew there was something between him and the management,” Van Crombrugge explains in the Mid Mid podcast.
“If Kompany had stayed, I’m sure guys like Zirkzee, Kouamé and Gomez would have stayed another year and we would have played to the end for the national title the following season. We must not hide our faces, these players came to Anderlecht at that time thanks to Kompany’s status,” adds Van Crombrugge.
The best
For him, Kompany is by far the best coach he has ever had, particularly on a tactical level. The fact that things went much less well after he left doesn’t surprise him.
“Kompany saved Anderlecht during that period, he was a shield. When he left, that shield disappeared and people were exposed to criticism, which they weren’t used to,” he said.
In the end, the divergent vision of Vandenhaute and Kompany led to the situation we know, particularly with Mazzù’s inconclusive experience at the head of the club.
