Vincent Kompany is back at home. The Bayern München head coach left hospital on Wednesday, five days after he collapsed at the club’s training ground, and Max Eberl has confirmed that doctors have now found the cause.
Speaking to the German broadcaster ARD before Bayern’s DFB-Pokal tie with Magdeburg, the board member for sport said the 40-year-old was in good shape considering what he had been through. “He was discharged from the hospital today. That is the biggest and best news for all of us,” Eberl said, as reported by BBC Sport.
Meningeal irritation identified as the cause
When Kompany was taken ill last Friday, while he was watching Bayern’s second team train, the club had no diagnosis to offer. That has now changed. “It’s a meningeal irritation that caused this incident on Friday. He will now rest and take medication,” Eberl explained. Meningeal irritation is an inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord.
The official Bundesliga website reports that the Belgian will carry on his recovery at home. According to the BBC, Kompany had been fighting a virus in the days leading up to his collapse and had missed some team training. He also skipped the press conference before the Champions League meeting with Arsenal, although he was on the touchline for the game itself.
Eberl remains upbeat about the longer term. “I am very confident that he will be back on the touchline, operating at 100% very soon,” he said.
No date set for his return
Leaving hospital does not mean an immediate comeback. Bayern have not put a date on Kompany’s return to the dugout, and on Saturday the club spoke of an absence lasting “weeks, not days”. His full recovery is the priority, and until he is ready, assistant Aaron Danks and the rest of the coaching staff stay in charge of the first team.
Danks has made a strong start in the role. He oversaw the 3-1 win at Freiburg on Sunday, a game we covered in our report on how Bayern began planning for weeks without Kompany, and on Wednesday evening his side beat Magdeburg 6-1 to reach the last 16 of the cup. Ismael Saibari was named player of the match by the club, and Michael Olise found the net with a panenka.
The news from the hospital clearly lifted the dressing room. The Bundesliga site notes that players including Nathaniel Brown and Tom Bischof were delighted after the cup win to know their head coach was back at home, with Brown saying the team were winning for him too.
Der Klassiker next for Danks
The next assignment is a heavyweight one. Bayern, who lead the Bundesliga, host title rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, and Danks will be in charge for Der Klassiker. Bayern also go into the weekend celebrating Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or win.
For Kompany, the focus is simply on rest and medication. Bayern have given no further detail on his condition, and the club have made clear he will be given all the time he needs before he returns.
