Merkel shows solidarity with Kompany: My body also told me to "stop"

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her sympathy for Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich's coach, wishing him a speedy recovery and enough time to heal without any pressure.

Merkel stated in remarks to "Magenta TV": "At first, I felt very sad when I heard about it. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he finds the right environment that allows him to take all the time he really needs."

She added: "I have great respect for the work that Vincent Kompany does, as well as for his clear stances against discrimination and on many other issues. I can imagine that if I were a female or male footballer, he would be exactly the coach I would want to work with."

Merkel continued, recalling her personal experience: "Surely Vincent Kompany did not choose to stay at home of his own accord, but rather an incident made his body finally say: stop! And that is exactly what happened to me as well."

"When I started to tremble during the military award ceremony in 2019, it was a release of tension, perhaps due to my mother's passing, or maybe also because I knew I would be leaving my position. In such moments, the body begins to send signals, and from a human perspective, that is very good."