After winning the Premier League and FA Cup, the former City captain ended his career with the Citizens at the conclusion of the 2018–19 season.
The 37-year-old has disclosed some information on his departure from City and how it all happened as he gears up for his second season leading Burnley and first in the Premier League as a manager.
When questioned about his final season at the Manchester club and his choice to depart, Kompany said this in a recent video on The Overlap with Gary Neville.
“I’d made my mind up but then it was like a confirmation, I told the chairman, I said ‘Khaldoon, this is it. We can’t do better than this so we’ll win the league and we’ll win the FA Cup and that’ll be it.’
“I ran into him first and I didn’t want Pep to not play me in any of the other games either. [Khaldoon stayed quiet] because he knew I wanted to say it in my own time, so I think I told Khaldoon first but I ran into him and it was just the perfect time, he was going to fly back to Abu Dhabi, I wasn’t going to see him again so this was the time I told him.
“We had the Brighton game coming up to win the league, so we did that, I thought [it’s] still not the right time and then the day before the Watford game, because I know Pep in finals and stuff or when he feels like the team is stronger he might put you on the bench and put someone else on so I just went to him ‘I’ve got to play tomorrow.’”
According to Vincent Kompany, he informed Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the chairman of Manchester City, that he had made the decision to leave the team before telling Pep Guardiola.
During his 11 years at the Etihad Stadium, Kompany made 360 appearances for City across all competitions, winning four Premier League titles and other domestic trophies.
Looking back over his final weeks at City, the defender scored one of the most iconic goals of the Guardiola era during their 1-0 win over Leicester City which ultimately led to them snatching the league title away from Liverpool.
Having then gone on to complete the full 90 minutes in his final game for the club in their 6-0 win over Watford in the FA Cup final, having not featured in any of their prior games in the competition that season, this was the perfect way for him to bring an end to his tenure at City.
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