sport news New Burnley boss Vincent Kompany takes stock ahead of his debut season in the ... trends now
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Vincent Kompany remembers arriving at Manchester City just a few days before the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008 and finding a training ground that didn’t have a coffee machine or a toilet door.
As he got his feet under the table as Burnley manager on Friday, the decorated former City skipper was asked if there were comparisons between the club he joined in 2008 and the one he has chosen for his return to English football.
‘This club is 10 times better,’ replied Kompany emphatically at Burnley’s training complex.
Vincent Kompany will lead Burnley in the Championship during his debut season at the club
The ex-Manchester City star was manager of Anderlecht in Belgium between 2020 and 2022
‘This was Man City when it got taken over. It’s a state-of-the-art facility: fantastic pitches and everything we need to be extremely demanding with the players.
‘But it’s a different era. Every club has invested since and Burnley are the same. It’s an incredible work environment.
‘City at the time was what it was. It was City. You just enjoyed playing for them and never expected much. It wasn’t about luxuries. This is a Premier League facility, really impressive.’
The reality is, however, that Burnley are no longer a Premier League club. Relegation last month means the repayment of a large chunk of a £65million loan and the departure of half the first-team squad.
Having cut his managerial teeth in difficult circumstances back