Schröder reveals Schalke 04 wanted Kompany in the past

Rouven Schröder has revealed that he held talks with Vincent Kompany while searching for a new Schalke 04 coach some years ago.

FC Schalke 04 previously explored the possibility of hiring Vincent Kompany as their head coach.

In an interview with Sky90, newly-appointed Borussia Mönchengladbach head of sport Rouven Schröder revealed that he had the current Bayern coach in mind when Schalke were last in the Bundesliga during the 2022/23 season.

“When he was at Anderlecht and we at Schalke were looking for a coach for the Bundesliga, I was simply intrigued to speak with such a great player,” said Schröder, who worked for Schalke from the summer of 2021 until October 2022.

“It was one of the best conversations you can have with a coach. A young, up-and-coming coach. The door opens, he’s huge and extremely well-prepared.”

Ultimately, hiring Kompany was deemed too expensive for Schalke 04.

“In the end, it was because of his large staff. We didn’t continue discussions. It quickly became clear that it wasn’t financially feasible. It simply didn’t fit the budget,” Schröder explained.

“At that time, several other clubs were also interested in him. Whether we would have landed him is unclear.”

Kompany eventually moved to Burnley before joining Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024.

Schalke currently top the 2. Bundesliga.