Belgian international defender Vincent Kompany has hung up his boots at the age of 34 to become manager of Anderlecht on a four-year contract, the club announced Monday.
Kompany joined Anderlecht from Manchester City in 2019 as player-manager, and now takes over from Franky Vercauteren, who had been handling coaching duties, in a purely managerial role.
“If I hadn’t been injured, I would have continued,” Kompany told a news conference. “I don’t want to set the bar lower than winning the title. I’m here to win.”
Kompany’s first game in charge will come on Sunday as Anderlecht take on Mouscron.
“I want to fully commit to my role as a coach and need 100% of my time and focus for it. That’s why I’m quitting as a football player,” said Kompany, who enjoyed a trophy-laden 11-year spell in England with City. (Vanguard)