Vincent Kompany has praised Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of Bayern Munich’s upcoming clash with the Scottish champions.
Kompany has faced Rodgers’ teams multiple times in the English Premier League over the years, including scoring a famous goal against Leicester City that helped Manchester City secure the title in what was his final home league game for the club.
Now the head coach of Bayern Munich after hanging up his boots in 2020, Kompany knows that Celtic will present a serious challenge in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout tie at Celtic Park.
He’s been impressed by how the Northern Irishman has navigated his own career as a manager and has rallied his Bayern squad to not underestimate their Glasgow hosts.
Explaining the differing approach as a player to being the man in charge, the ex-Manchester City captain said: “As a player you go to bed, call your wife and watch Netflix till you fall asleep.
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“As a coach, a Champions League away game is different. I remember my last game at the Etihad for Manchester City against Brendan Rodgers. It didn't go well for us, even though we needed to win. They pressed, had lots of possession and made it really tough for us to get the ball back. They have good attackers.
“Rodgers had the same at Leicester, at Liverpool - I can see his impact on the team here as well.
“Celtic have great tradition in the Champions League. We'll give them the respect they deserve. But we have a team that's also a great team. And as long as we understand how big and important this game is, we'll play well.”
