Interview: "I don't envy racists" - Vincent Kompany

Kompany(L) playing for RSC-Anderlecht in 2003

Rajpal: Tell me about growing up in Brussels and that kind of grounding that your parents had given you.

Kompany: Well, my father was a political refugee and he fought against Mobutu back in the days as a student. And they got imprisoned and then he went to Belgium to leave the regime from Mobutu. My mother, she was a union activist. So very opinionated people in the family. And, you know, it’s gone through to the kids as well.

Rajpal: Yes.

Kompany: They’ve given us so much love when we were younger. But you know, I guess like any modern family as well, we’ve had our problems. Had a divorce, my father lost his job at some stage, you know, 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 has given us the strength to always kind of, you know, do our own thing. And knowing that we would be OK, even if we didn’t have any money, because we knew exactly how to handle situations.

Kompany: Your parents placed a huge importance on education – further education. Learning as much as you can. Because it was important to always have something to fall back on, no matter how talented you may have been – and you are – on the pitch. So much so, that even when you were playing at Anderlecht, some of the biggest teams in the world came looking for you. And you said, “No”, to teams like Manchester United. Even describing it as playing Russian roulette at the time. What was that about?

Kompany: Some good research. The best way to define it is – in my head, it wasn’t really possible. You know, it wasn’t a possibility. I couldn’t go anywhere without finishing my studies, you know? I don’t know, it just never came to my mind. And I always remember playing Champions’ League in Munich – big game, millions of people watching the games. And then, next day, coming back around two o’clock in the morning. Next day at eight o’clock, I was just sat on the bench with all my classmates and I was just a normal guy. And it’s always given me the right balance, though.

Rajpal: Yes.

Kompany: And, you know, I thank my mother every day – and my father – every day for having pushed me into that direction. They’ve never, ever said to me, “You’re great a footballer. Now you’ve made it. 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.

Rajpal: Do you feel that gives you the confidence to play on the pitch? Because you know you always have something?

Kompany: I try not to confuse things, though. But it’s something that goes into my sport a lot, though. The confidence. It’s not something I say out in the open and it’s probably not true. So -

Rajpal: Sure.

Kompany: But, in my head, before I start a game, I’m the best player in the world. I feel like nobody can pass me. I feel like I’m going to be stronger than anyone else. It’s probably not true, but that’s the mindset.

Rajpal: But then, in 2008, the big decision comes to move to Manchester City. It’s a big move for any player to play for such a well- known and respected team. Difficult year, though. Because, on the one hand, you have a career achievement. On the other hand, you suffered devastating personal loss with the passing away of your mom.

Kompany: Yes.

Rajpal: What did you learn about yourself, in terms of having to deal with the two very opposing moments in your life?

Kompany: Well, there was that and the fact that it was for the first time that year that I visited Congo. You know, and those few things coming together in the same year – the move, the loss of my mother, my first visit to Congo – I think it did change me as a human being. You know, everything my mother said to me before became all of a sudden so much more important to me, because I wanted to hold on to something.

And the visit to Congo made me realize that – because I had a lot of injuries that year as well – made me realize that there’s actually no reason to every complain about anything. But I just have to carry on and that I was lucky to live 20 years, at least, with my mom – 22 years. And I just started to see the world a little bit differently.

Rajpal: One of your biggest supporters has described to me that there are three – the three best things that have come out of Belgium are chocolate, beer, and Vincent Kompany

Kompany: Yes.

Rajpal: How does -

Kompany: And French fries. But I don’t know – Seriously, but I don’t know why people call it “French fries”. It’s from Belgium. Rajpal: OK, the Belgium fries, then.

Kompany: Yes, exactly.

Rajpal: How did you deal with it? How does it feel to have that kind of support and loyalty from your fans?

Kompany: I mean, it means a million things to me. But you know, as I said, I never take things for granted. So I try – it kind of goes past me, you know. I have a little smile on my face when I hear it, but for the rest, you know, I don’t live with it.

Rajpal: Yes.

Kompany: I’ve got so many things I want to achieve. So many things I want to do for other people as well that I don’t really have the time to just sit there and contemplate all the beautiful things I’ve done.

Rajpal: It’s interesting. You said that you haven’t actually achieved all of your goals.

Kompany: I don’t want to sound overambitious, but I really – I really live for the future, you know. Every new day brings about another opportunity. And the moment you close your eyes, you know, it goes past you. And you start living in the past – I can’t do that.