Aaron Danks Takes Helm as Bayern Coach Remains Hospitalized
The club's deputy will lead Sunday's match at Freiburg while Vincent Kompany continues recovery from a virus.
By Larissa Shah ·
Aaron Danks will stand in for Bayern Munich on Sunday. The assistant coach will lead the team in a Bundesliga match at Freiburg. This follows the sudden hospitalization of head coach Vincent Kompany.
Kompany collapsed on the training pitch on Friday. The club announced on Saturday that he is in a stable condition. Doctors are still testing the 40-year-old to identify the specific virus. Director of Sport Max Eberl stated that the absence will last for weeks, not days.
Eberl spoke at a news conference on Saturday. He said the club is waiting for full medical results before setting a recovery date. "Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We're not starting to put together any timeframes," Eberl said. He added that the staff must understand the illness before planning a return.
Danks, who is English, led the press briefing in Kompany's place. He spoke with the former Belgium captain on Friday. The call was brief and focused on health rather than tactics. "I explained to him that we wouldn't be having no football conversations. It was just checking in on his health and making sure he's OK," Danks said.
Danks noted that the coaching staff will handle all operational decisions. "All the football operations are in our hands, and we'll work together as a team to keep the club moving forward," he said. Bayern's second team postponed its match on Friday after the collapse. Eberl said the club did not seek a delay for the main league game.
The club believes a strong result at Freiburg will aid Kompany's recovery. Eberl called a positive outcome one of the best ways to help him. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will also miss the game. He has been on bereavement leave since Tuesday.
Kompany returned to the sideline for Wednesday's match against Arsenal. He missed the pre-match press conference due to the virus. He later admitted he ignored early warning signs. "I caught a pretty nasty virus last week, and of course, I didn't listen to my body, and then at some point, my body just said, 'Enough is enough!'", Kompany said. Bayern currently leads the Bundesliga table by one point over Freiburg. Their next European match is against Atletico Madrid on November 3.
