Vincent Kompany does not regret defying Manuel Pellegrini's wish by playing for Belgium in the international break and Manchester City's captain suggested he may do so again in similar circumstances.
A fortnight ago Kompany joined his national side having been out of club football with a calf injury since 15 September. Pellegrini was clear his captain was not fit to play in the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Andorra and Israel. Yet the defender featured for 58 minutes of the second game despite it being a dead-rubber as Belgium had already secured a place at the championship.
The manager then omitted Kompany for City’s next matches, against Bournemouth and Sevilla, though he was reinstated for Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Although Kompany followed his manager’s line that there is no issue between them, he stood by his decision to play against Israel. “For now, the past and the future, it’s always going to be a little bit of a tricky situation,” said Kompany, who is also captain of Belgium.
“They are two very important teams that have different goals and ambitions and it’s just normal that stuff like this happens. I would not have played if I was not fit. But I’m a professional and I don’t need too much explanation [from the manager]. I just deal with it. I dealt with my decision and I didn’t have a problem with it. It’s fine. I work hard, always. I’m always positive for the team. It’s not at [THE AGE OF]29 that I need too much explanation any more.”
Kompany said he did not expect to have to fight to reclaim his place. “Every single time I’ve had the chance to put my boots on this term I’ve done very well, with my national team and club,” he said. “I’m a team player. We all want to achieve the same thing in the end. If other players do well I’m, by definition, also satisfied.
“It’s always been the case at City [to face competition]. There’s been as many defenders for that position since I’ve been there. It’s not just one season when there’s been big signings and big players come in. It’s necessary.
“Sometimes you get the best out of a team with that competition but that’s true for every position, not just my position.”
Sunday’s Manchester derby was the first to finish goalless since November 2010. “Both teams looked compact, both teams were well organised,” Kompany added. “Maybe the only sign of two big teams playing against each other is we stood well defensively, we all knew what we had to do but probably not enough to say this was a derby to remember or one team deserved to win.”
Both City and United, who travelled to CSKA Moscow, had important Champions League fixtures last week. This may have contributed to Sunday’s stalemate. “It’s a possibility and not to forget that both teams wanted to protect a good position in the league,” Kompany said.
“The fact that it’s a draw is still good for us and good for United. Losing would have been a problem for us and a problem for them as well. I predict a very different derby when we actually have to win the game and that will be the case when the next one comes around.” That is scheduled for 19 March.
(Guardian service)
