Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany speaks on DRC war
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during their Bundesliga match against VfB Stuttgart at MHPArena in Stuttgart, Germany on February 28, 2025.
While football is often considered apolitical, many young players of Congolese descent in Europe have begun speaking out against the decades-long war and insecurity in eastern Congo.
Former DRC national team captain Youssouf Mulumbu, Real Betis forward Cédric Bakambu, and Trabzonspor’s Simon Banza have been vocal in denouncing what they describe as the world's silence on a conflict that has claimed millions of lives.
The ongoing war in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now making waves in European and American sports discussions. This week, Bayern Munich's Belgian coach Vincent Kompany, whose father was born in Bukavu, was asked about the conflict during a press conference.
"I'm 100 per cent Belgian and 100 per cent Congolese. My dad was born in the east of Congo. My grandmother is from Bukavu, in the Kivu region in east of Congo. My simple wish is for people to be able to return to their homes, for people to be able to live a peaceful life," Kompany stated.
