KOMPANY DOES THE BUSINESS
City captain prepares for the boardroom
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FOOTBALL boffin Vincent Kompany has revealed how his success as a captain could take him from dressing room to boardroom at the Etihad.
The Manchester City and Belgium skipper completed his MBA (Masters of Business Administration) degree in Manchester last year, and now plans for a future in management of some sort.
And it’s not escaped the notice of City’s owners and senior management that Kompany is a smart guy, with the potential to transfer his skills from a life in playing kit to one as a suited and booted executive.
Kompany has kept City’s dressing room focused and harmonious this season, and will lift the title for the third time after today’s clash with Huddersfield.
His man-management has gone hand in glove with Pep Guardiola’s high standards of dedication and professionalism.
And Kompany has opened up about the way he draws the best from the multi-cultural, multitalented crop of record-breaking stars who have taken the Premier League by storm this season.
Kompany said: “Being captain is not the same as running a business or being a manager. When you can make decisions that will impact people’s lives, they have to listen to you.
“As a captain, however, you don’t have any power, but you still need to influence, do the right thing and move people in the right direction. As team captain at City I have to figure out how people work, and make sure I say the right thing to the right person.
“You have to know when to shout, when to listen, when to be tough and when to be kind.
“Being captain does not give me a licence to order people around.
“If people follow you it’s because they’ve decided to – not because they have to.”
Kompany is a deep thinker, and he credits his late mother Jocelyn with drawing his attention to making a life beyond football.
Kompany has had major injury issues in the last three seasons, which have restricted his Premier League appearances to just 41 out of 111 matches.
It’s exactly that kind of scenario which made his beloved mum drum into him the importance of having another string to his bow.
She died of cancer more than a decade ago. Completing his degree in December was a moment of real joy and pride for Kompany, who dedicated the achievement to the woman who inspired him.
“My mother was always someone who pushed me to get educated, and to work on my academic side,” he told BA’S Business Life magazine. “She would remind me that football could be temporary. What if I broke a leg? She never wanted me to give up on my dreams, but to be smart and hedge my bets.
“Her form of doing this was through education – and when she passed away that became more important to me. I wanted to make her proud.
“I didn’t enjoy school, so I wasn’t on to a good start! I tried to study in Germany when I played for Hamburg, but the language barrier made it too hard.
“And in Belgium I wasn’t able to find a good fit for my needs. And then I came to England to join City and found the MBA programme at Alliance Manchester Business School.
“They gave me the flexibility and support to achieve my goal.”
Kompany is keen to urge young footballers to follow his lead.
He added: “My advice to young players is be the best you can on the pitch, but educate yourself too, show an interest in the world and don’t let football restrict you.
“Doing this means you will have a better life for the 40, 50 or 60 years you have after your playing career ends.”
My mum would always remind me that football could be temporary. She pushed me to get educated