While those about him have lost their heads, Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has been a model of consistency.
Whether it is players falling
foul of the law, refusing to play, or simply getting swept up by the revolving
door at the club's Etihad Stadium, Kompany has seen a number of teammates and
managers come and go during his five years in Manchester.
But the Belgian has led the line
for City both on and off the pitch.
The 27-year-old is captain of
both club and country and his leadership helped City clinch a first English
championship in 44 years in 2012.
His stellar performances and
articulate interviews have made Kompany an idol among fans and a respected
figure within the media.
Kompany's level head is something
he credits to his education and his parents, who kept him grounded even when it
became clear he was destined for sporting stardom.
"I couldn't go anywhere without
finishing my studies," Kompany told CNN reflecting on the years he spent
combining football and his education.
I always remember playing in big games, millions of people watching, and the
next day coming back at two o'clock in the morning.
"At eight o'clock I was just
sitting on the bench with all my classmates and I was just a normal guy, but
it's always given me the right balance.
"I thank my mother every day and
my father every day for pushing me in that direction. They've never ever said to
me, 'You're a great footballer. You've made it now just focus on your
football.'
"They've always said keep other
things at hand and I guess I still have this in my life now."
Kompany's present is a far cry
from his parents' past. His parents fled Zaire, now known as Democratic Republic
of Congo, during the regime of president Mobuto Sese Seko, heading to Belgium
where Kompany was born and raised.
"They've given us so much love
when we were younger, but I guess like any modern family as well, we've had our
problems in the fight," said Kompany of his parents.
"We've had financial
difficulties like any normal family would have, but I think that the biggest
lesson for me is that we've always come back to that education, the strength to
do our own thing ... knowing that we would be okay even if we didn't have any
money because we knew exactly how to handle situations."
Despite the success he has
enjoyed since signing for City in 2008, Kompany continues to have numerous
extracurricular interests.
British newspaper the Daily Mail
reported in January 2012 that Kompany had signed up for a three-year Business
Administration course, while he also purchased a football club in his hometown
and renamed it BX Brussels.
The team, which plays at the
bottom level of the Belgian football pyramid, is Kompany's attempt to ensure up
and coming players are given the best possible start to their careers.
"I played football for
Anderlecht from the age of 6 to the age of 20 so that has had a big impact on my
life, at the same time as my parents and the schools I went to," he
explained.
"I really believe that the
interactions between all of those different assets led me to be better.
"I want to make a very strong
link into the schools, maybe sometimes even the life at home for the kids.
"I think a part of the reason
why a lot of young kids fail is because they don't have the support from home
that they need to."
One obstacle faced by some
modern footballers is racism. The key to tackling discrimination, according to
Kompany, is also education.
While Kompany pays little heed
to the abusers, he still says it is important for the game's governing bodies to
clamp down on the vocal minority.
"It's a very sad life, it's a
very sad way of behaving so I wouldn't give them too much attention," he
added.
"But at the same time, as much
as I wouldn't teach my kids to give them too much attention, I hope the
governing bodies will be extremely hard and extremely exemplary in the way that
they deal with those situations."
No comments:
Post a Comment