Vincent Kompany Reveals He Turned Down the Chance to Replace Mikel Arteta at Manchester City
By Will Day
Vincent Kompany has revealed he turned down Pep Guardiola's request to become his new number two at Manchester City following Mikel Arteta's departure for Arsenal in December.
Kompany became full-time Anderlecht manager earlier this week, after announcing the end of his playing career.
The Belgian is a hugely popular figure on the blue side of Manchester, after spending eight years at the club and playing a pivotal role in their recent era of success. While injuries disrupted large portions of his playing career, he made 265 Premier League appearances for the Cityzens and captained the side to their first league title in 44 years.
In an interview with Sporza, the Belgian confirmed he had the opportunity to become Pep's assistant, answering 'yes' in a round of quick-fire questions. With such a close affiliation with the Manchester club, Kompany's decision to turn down the chance to learn under arguably one of the best managers of all time may come as a shock to many, but it seems the former defender already had his mind elsewhere.
The Belgian raised a few eyebrows in the footballing sphere when he announced upon his departure from City that he was to become the player-manager of Anderlecht - the club where he began his career.
It was a gamble for all parties considering Anderlecht are a big team and have frequently won the Belgian First Division, while it was Kompany's first foray into management. After their worst start to a season in over 20 years, it seemed the gamble hadn't paid off.
Kompany stepped down as manager after just four games, choosing to focus on his on-the-pitch performances as he captained the team for the remainder of the campaign.
After calling time on his playing career, it was announced the same day that he would become the full-time manager of the Brussels side, signing a four-year deal. It is possible that he already had the position lined up and that Pep's request came at too late a stage for the defender to be able to accept.
Kompany did admit, however, that he and Pep are still regularly in contact and with such fondness between the Belgian and the Manchester club, if Kompany impresses as a manager, it may not be the last request he gets from City.