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

Vincent Komapny playing for Manchester City

Rajpal: You’ve, again, have often been described as a very, you know, gentle – a gentleman, loyal, a hard worker, soft-spoken. Were you always that way?

Kompany: No. I guess, obviously, the more I get old – I’m only 27.

Rajpal: 27? You consider that old?

Kompany: Yes, well, I don’t know. But probably by the time I’m 60, I’ll be very, very soft-spoken. But I guess when I was younger, I was voicing my opinion -

Rajpal: Yes, I heard you would walk off a pitch – off training, as well.

Kompany: Yes, that’s what you learn with age, I would say. You know, and I’m still not completely there yet. But you just learn to put your opinion there at the right moments. Because if you don’t do it at the right moment, then your opinion is worthless.

Rajpal: Who are your heroes in football? And who are your heroes in life?

Kompany: I grew up admiring Marcel Desailly. Played in the same position and I was usually compared to him in the playing style that we have. And then, as I grew a little bit older, then Patrick Vieira became someone I was really looking up to. And I ended up playing with him. So, and I see him every day at Carrington’s. I think it’s always a good thing to follow those who have had success. Because there’s always a reason for it.

Rajpal: I read that when you were a child – when you were a kid – you would actually dream about holding up a trophy, playing in packed stadiums filled with people who supported you – that was what you visualized. That’s what you dreamed about, as opposed to having a nice car or living in a big house.

Kompany: It sounds naive and it sounds a little bit like – well, I can’t remember myself ever dreaming living in a big house – like, I couldn’t imagine that I would ever have a big house or that I would ever have any money. But for some reason, I knew I was going to play in front of big stadiums with big crowds and that I was going to be successful in my sport.

So the two didn’t go together for me. Because, obviously, from where I grew up, I never knew what a big house looked like and I never knew what you could have if you had money. It didn’t really ever play in my mind.

Rajpal: And now that you do?

Kompany: Now that I do, I — you enjoy the good things in life.

Rajpal: Yes.

Kompany: And I’ve always learned as well that you, you know, you have to enjoy the good things in life. And it’s my contribution, I guess, to the society as well.

Rajpal: Well, you also contribute from a charitable perspective, as well – being an ambassador of SOS – the Children’s Village.

Kompany: Yes.

Rajpal: Building villages where it’s so desperately needed. You’ve said that your charity – the work that you do, in that perspective, is just as important – it’s just as much of a priority – as it is being a great footballer. Why is it so important for you to have those two in such – have that, at least, in such high importance?

Kompany: Because I know where I come from. And I’ve not just been saying it since now, but I’ve been saying it since I was 17-years-old, you know. When I played my first game. I think – I don’t like it when people describe as, “Do you feel you need to do something back?”

Rajpal: Yes.

Kompany: I don’t really feel I need to do something back. But do I want to? Yes. You know, as for Children’s Village is such a wonderful organization and I keep promoting it as much as I can, because I do think that every penny that gets sent over to those guys – they do miracles with it.

Rajpal: What do you think makes a great footballer? Is it just about talent on the pitch?

Kompany: No, there’s so many great footballers. And I guess they’re all different. But I’ve – I don’t know – I’ve always thought that the best that I’ve seen have always been people that didn’t think – they were so applied to their job. And then, when you’re actually going through their lives, you realize that they’re unbelievable professionals and people who have done all the right things at the right moment. And when I’m talking about a great player, I mean a player that lasts for 10 years at the top level. Not someone that comes in for two years and then disappears.

Rajpal: What does it take to maintain longevity?

Kompany: Dedication. You know, commitment and I guess you have to give up a lot of things as well.

Rajpal: Such as?

Kompany: Yes, well, you never really will have the student lifestyle.

Rajpal: Yes.

Kompany: You know, the university lifestyle. You can forget about it. You won’t be allowed to make as many mistakes as other people do. But in return, you get a lot, of course.

Rajpal: Yes.

Kompany: You’ll be away from your family a lot of times. So you just have to be able to deal with those things. Nothing to complain about, but you have to handle those things.

Rajpal: All right. Vincent Kompany, thank you so much.

Kompany: Nice to meet you.