Vincent Kompany may oversee world-class stars like Harry Kane and Michael Olise on a daily basis, but his visit to BX Brussels—the club he founded in 2013—reveals a completely different side of the man. In Anderlecht, the former captain of the Red Devils spent an entire afternoon at the club he founded himself in 2013. There, he reconnects with his roots and his friends. But Kompany can return to Germany with peace of mind, because the club is in good hands: today, BX has 1,150 members, with another 700 children on the waiting list. There's also a program for girls called BX Femina.
One of the most inspiring stories to come out of this initiative is that of Joshua Nga Kana. Having made his debut in the Jupiler Pro League just last season, he has become a mainstay in Vitor Bruno's starting lineup this season. The young dribbler played for BX between 2014 and 2016. Kompany smiles: “Joshua played on these fields. He's proving that it's possible.” And he likely won't be the last player to move from BX Brussels to a professional club.
Continue reading below the articleContinue reading Stories like Nga Kana's make all the investments worthwhile. Twelve million has already been poured into this project, without any financial return. The goal is for BX Brussels to become less dependent on Kompany's personal contributions in the future, in part through partnerships such as the one with Foodmaker, which is also a partner of RSCA.
Former Anderlecht players such as Nicolas Frutos and Theo Leoni, former spokesperson David Steegen, former CEO Tim Borguet, and current equipment manager Kalid are also present during Kompany's visit, as he reminisces with Leoni with a smile: “Aren't you going to ask me why you played so little when I was the coach?” The atmosphere is relaxed, almost familial.
Meanwhile, Kompany dreams of a multisport center: basketball, combat sports, track and field… BX wants to reach beyond soccer. Even though he has a flight to Munich at 7:30 p.m., he keeps posing for photos, talking with the coaches, and greeting the kids. His father finally has to tug on his sleeve to get him to leave. Punctuality remains an area for improvement… even for a Bundesliga coach.
