"I was surprised" - Former Manchester United manager claimed Bayern Munich wanted him before appointing Vincent Kompany
Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal claims that Bayern Munich approached him to take over as manager before appointing Vincent Kompnay. The former Burnley boss took over as the head coach of the Bavarian outfit only this summer after the club parted ways with Thomas Tuchel.
The German giants had a disappointing 2023/24 season, finishing third in the Bundesliga, 18 points behind champions Bayer Leverkusen. They failed to get past Real Madrid in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League.
Therefore, Bayern Munich were looking to replace their manager and seemingly approached Van Gaal for the job. Speaking about this, the former Netherlands national team manager said (via @TheEuropeanLad):
"Bayern Munich asked me to be their manager (before Kompany), I was surprised."
Van Gaal is currently in an advisory role at Ajax and hasn't worked as a manager since quitting his job with the Netherlands national team in December 2022.
Meanwhile, Kompany and his Bayern Munich team are looking ahead to the start of the new campaign. As part of their pre-season preparations, the Bavarians will face Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly contest on Saturday (August 3).
Their first Bundesliga match of the new season is an away tie against Wolfsburg on August 25 at the Volkswagen Arena.
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany addresses Pep Guardiola's influence on him
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany opened up about the effect that Pep Guardiola has had on him. However, the Belgian tactician maintained that he would look to implement his own ideas.
Kompany played under Guardiola after the latter took over as manager at the Etihad Stadium. Speaking about the Spaniard at a press conference, he said (via Bavarian Football Works):
"Pep Guardiola is one of the most, if not the most special coach of this generation. People like him always influence others. I know this question will always come back and I have an immense amount of respect for him, but for me the main thing is to speak about my football ideas.
"I match my ideas with my personality. You learn a lot from the coaches you have had- but also from other experiences. Of course Pep Guardiola had a big influence on me. But it's important to go your own way."
Before this job, Kompany was with Burnley for two years, where he managed 96 matches across competitions. His current contract at the Allianz Arena expires in the summer of 2027.