Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany is looking forward to returning to the city of Hamburg when his Bundesliga leaders face promoted St Pauli on Saturday.
Kompany played for city rivals SV Hamburg 2006-08 after coming through at Anderlecht and then left to become one of the top defenders of his generation at Manchester City. Now the Belgian is back in the Bundesliga as coach of the record champions.
“My time in Hamburg was very important for me and really beautiful,” he told a news conference on Friday. “Munich is a great city but so was Hamburg.”
Asked if he had ever enjoyed himself in the strip of bars on Hamburg’s famous Reeperbahn, Kompany cryptically said: “Even the Beatles were on the Reeperbahn.”
The British rock band cut their teeth in Hamburg before finding fame. Kompany is trying to do similar as a coach having been the surprise choice to fill the vacant hotseat in Munich.
It is so far, so good for the 38-year-old former Anderlecht and Burnley coach, with Bayern three points clear after nine games having surrendered the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012 under Thomas Tuchel last term.
Bayern have scored 13 goals and conceded none in their last four games in all competitions and take on a St Pauli side fresh from their second win of the campaign at Hoffenheim last weekend.
St Pauli are big city rivals with Kompany’s former side Hamburg.
“I have a lot of friends at Hamburg still and maybe for them it is important that we beat St Pauli. I know of course that the rivalry is huge,” he said.
Bayern emerged from Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League largely unscathed.
“It was important that we didn’t suffer any more injuries. I feel like the team is fresh both mentally and physically despite all the games,” Kompany added.
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