Vincent Kompany has brushed aside concerns he was not Bayern Munich’s first choice by insisting the club have done well to appoint him.
The former Manchester City and Belgium captain was confirmed as Bayern’s surprise pick to succeed Thomas Tuchel as manager after a deal was reached with relegated Burnley on Wednesday.
Kompany emerged as an unlikely front-runner for the job last week after a number of high-profile candidates including Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann, Xabi Alonso and Ralf Rangnick reportedly turned it down.
Kompany led Burnley to promotion from the Championship last year but his first experience as a Premier League manager was a disappointing one, ending in the Clarets’ immediate relegation.
Yet the 38-year-old, who had a previous spell in charge of Anderlecht, remains confident in his ability.
Kompany told reporters at a press conference: “I just joined the club but I’m starting to understand a little bit the recruitment process, and I can only say that the fact that I’m here means they’re doing a very good job. That’s it.
“I know what a big club Bayern Munich is. I’m very proud but also very motivated to start. The season could start today, right away.”
Kompany asserted his appointment should not be regarded as a surprise and revealed he had attracted interest from other clubs.
He said: “I think the aspect of being surprised is because you assume that it was the only club that called, and you assume that it was the only interest I had.
“You only assume that because I’m very private, that’s the only reason. I was actually quite fortunate to have a lot of interest from other clubs as well.”
Kompany will be under immediate pressure to regain the Bundesliga title, which the club missed out on this year for the first time since 2012, and challenge in the Champions League.
It is an obvious step up in intensity from what he faced at Turf Moor but the Belgian maintains that will not bother him.
He said: “The question about pressure, you’re going to ask me maybe another 10,000 times before the start of the season, but it’s going to be the same answer.
“I have a different way of dealing with it. It’s not part of my life.”
Kompany also dismissed worries about how he will work with elite players. He feels that, after skippering City to four Premier League triumphs, he belongs at such a level.
He said: “I’ve lived at this level for most of my career. I’ve been in these dressing rooms for most of my career.
“But in the main, you always adapt to the people and the cultures and the individuals that you have in the dressing room. I’ve learned this at every level of football.”
Kompany feels he proved to himself during the highs and lows that he experienced at Burnley that he is level-headed enough for the job.
He said: “You learn a lot about yourself. The first year, you have 46 games and we only lost three, 101 points – the highest of the highest the club has ever achieved in terms of points return.
“Then the next year, you have a tough season in the Premier League.
“What you learn about yourself in the very highs and the very lows is that you can be consistent.
“I didn’t approach players differently. I didn’t work less to prepare games.
“I have no intention to all of a sudden become a different person, and I don’t think that’s what they want.”