Bayern Munich will be without manager Vincent Kompany for their clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern meet PSG in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes.
But Kompany, the former Manchester City and Belgium defender who leads Bayern, is suspended so will be watching from the stands. His assistant, Aaron Danks, will be thrust into the spotlight.
Why is Vincent Kompany suspended?
Kompany has been booked three times in 12 Champions League matches this season, incurring a one-match ban.
Most recently, in the quarterfinal win against Real Madrid, he was given a yellow card after complaining about the referee’s decision not to award a free-kick for Bayern defender Josip Stanisic. It preceded a goal for Madrid.
Who is Aaron Danks?
Aaron Danks, a Brit, worked with Jude Bellingham in England’s youth set-up. Jamal Musiala, now with Bayern, made his England under-20s debut under Danks’ leadership.
Danks worked as the assistant manager for Kompany at Anderlecht in Belgium. He left for the same role at Aston Villa where he worked alongside Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and Unai Emery. He even managed two games after Gerrard was sacked, overseeing a 4-0 win against Brentford and a 4-0 loss to Newcastle.
Danks worked behind Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough before rejoining Kompany at Bayern.
“It means a lot to me to work for this fantastic club,” Danks, 42, said. “We now want to shape the next era and help the players write their own story.”
Kompany said: “Danksy has plenty of experience, was on the touchline for a while in England. I’ve got 100% confidence in the staff and everyone else.”
Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund said: “We will rise to this challenge and get the job done as a team.”
Board member for sport Max Eberl said: “Vincent has charisma and everything that goes with it. But all the groundwork is actually done behind the scenes by his colleagues on the coaching staff. As a result, everyone is on board with the philosophy and the things we want to implement, both defensively and offensively.”
What is Harry Kane’s verdict?
Bayern striker and talisman Harry Kane said about Kompany’s ban: “We’ll miss him on the touchline. He’s our boss, a coach who’d love to be out there with us.”
Kane, with 12 goals, is the second-top scorer in this season’s Champions League, three behind Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé.
What is the relevance of the cockatoo statue?
Danks is regarded as the keeper of a lucky cockatoo statue which Bayern bring out when they win a trophy.
The cockatoo has been on display twice this season when the Supercup and the Bundesliga were wrapped up.
The porcelain object previously lived in a restaurant in Munich city centre. The original owner joked that it flew away to “watch the great football adventure up close.”
The cockatoo was used after celebrations last season, and sporting director Freund said: “Ever since we won the title, he’s been coming along with us time and again. And whenever we win a title, he’ll always be there.”
