For Pep Guardiola, it is “written in the stars” that Vincent Kompany will one day be the manager of Manchester City.
Kompany was one of the pillars behind City’s rise as a major force in English soccer following his signing in 2008, weeks before the club came under Abu Dhabi ownership. He spent 11 years there as a player — captaining the team for eight of them — and won four Premier League titles.
Kompany is now making his name in management, having spent two years with Anderlecht in his native Belgium before making a bold move to take over at Burnley in the offseason following its relegation from the Premier League.
Burnley leads the second-division Championship by 12 points and looks set for an immediate return to the Premier League. On Wednesday, Burnley was drawn to play City in the FA Cup quarterfinals at Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola said Friday that Kompany’s return will be a taster for what’s to come.
“All of us, our fans, are happy he’ll be back,” Guardiola said. “He will be back sooner or later — I think his destiny to become manager of Man City is already written in the stars.
“It is going to happen. I don’t know when, but it’s going to happen.”
Guardiola said Kompany has “all the attributes” to be a success at City and is impressed by what his former player has achieved at Burnley, which has dispensed with its previous direct and pragmatic style and is now a more possession-based team under Kompany.
“Work ethic, knowledge of the game, a lot of respect, experience,” Guardiola said. “Doing what he has done is so difficult and he’s doing really well.
“He knows (City), knows the environment, knows our fans, knows what our people need. The destiny is there.”
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