Vincent Kompany has been discharged from hospital and is recovering at home after Bayern Munich confirmed that a meningeal irritation caused his collapse in training last Friday, with no date yet set for his return to the touchline.
Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl gave the update on Wednesday ahead of the German Cup tie against Magdeburg. "Given the circumstances, he is doing well," Eberl told ARD. "He was discharged from the hospital today. That is the biggest and best news for all of us."
Eberl said doctors had identified the cause of the incident. "It is a meningeal irritation that caused this incident on Friday. He will now rest and take medication, and I am certain that he will very soon be back on the touchline, operating at 100%."
What happened last Friday
Kompany was rushed to hospital after collapsing during a training session involving Bayern's reserve side. He had been nursing a virus in the days before the collapse and had missed some training sessions, yet he had still taken his place in the dugout for the 2-2 Champions League draw with Arsenal earlier that week.
The full background to last Friday's collapse, and Bayern's initial warning that his recovery would be measured in weeks rather than days, underlines why the club are refusing to rush this. A meningeal irritation involves inflammation of the meninges, the protective layers around the brain and spinal cord, and Bayern have made clear that Kompany will resume his duties only after receiving medical clearance.
Reuters reported the discharge and Eberl's comments in full, and there is still no return date — only the promise that his recovery at home, built around rest and medication, comes before any thought of football.
Danks keeps Bayern winning
In Kompany's absence his assistant Aaron Danks has taken charge, and the team have not missed a beat. Bayern won 3-1 at Freiburg in the Bundesliga and then beat Magdeburg 6-1 in the German Cup on Wednesday, a result Danks described as far harder than the scoreline suggested.
Danks also welcomed his manager's discharge. "Vincent is out of hospital. That is fantastic news," he said, in quotes carried by Bulinews. "He needs to recover, spend time with his family and continue to get better. He is doing better and is on the road to recovery."
Defender Nathaniel Brown, who scored against Magdeburg, said the squad were also winning for Kompany and hoped to see him again soon, once he has had proper rest.
So what happens next?
Bayern, who lead the Bundesliga, face title rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in Der Klassiker — the game examined in our look at Bayern's depth without Kane ahead of the Klassiker — and Danks is expected to remain in charge for it. A Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid follows next week, before a trip to Mainz ahead of the international break.
That run would test any squad, let alone one missing its head coach. The encouraging part for Bayern is that results have held up, the dressing room is united behind its manager, and the diagnosis at least ends the uncertainty of the past few days. The unanswered part is timing, and Bayern are right not to guess at it.
Beyond the Final Whistle: this is the best news Bayern could have had this week, and it is not the 6-1 win or top spot in the Bundesliga — it is their manager going home. A collapse at the training ground is a frightening moment for any club, and a diagnosis, however serious, is better than not knowing. Bayern must now protect Kompany from himself: no quiet return for the Klassiker, no touchline comeback before the doctors say so. Danks has earned the right to carry this run. Will Bayern keep winning for Kompany until he is cleared to come back?
