Vincent Kompany and Harry Kane win German coach and player of the year awards

Bayern Munich sweeps annual German football awards

German sports publication Kicker announced the winners of its annual football honours on Sunday, August 23, 2026, marking a double victory for Bayern Munich. Manager Vincent Kompany won the German Coach of the Year award, while centre-forward Harry Kane secured the Player of the Year award. Organized alongside the Association of German Sports Journalists (VDS), the vote polled 653 sports journalists nationwide. Kompany claimed top spot with 314 votes after guiding Bayern to a domestic league and cup double in his debut campaign. Kane received 272 votes to win the player award for the first time since moving to German football.

Kompany secures commanding win in coaching vote

The coaching ballot delivered a wide margin for the Belgian manager over his Bundesliga rivals. Kompany collected 314 of the 653 ballots cast by VDS members, giving him almost half of all votes recorded. Julian Schuster of SC Freiburg, who won the award in 2025, finished in second place with 87 votes. VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeness finished third after earning 53 votes from the panel. Kicker attributed the result to Kompany's tactical setup and his approachable public communication style since taking charge in Bavaria.

It is thanks to Kompany's footballing approach that the Munich team proved unbeatable at the national level and came close to qualifying for the Champions League final.

Kane and Olise finish top two in player ballot

In the Player of the Year classification, Harry Kane earned the top honour with 272 votes from the journalists. Kane succeeded midfielder Florian Wirtz, the previous year's winner of the award. The striker finished the 2025–2026 campaign as the Bundesliga's top scorer with 36 goals in league play, adding another 14 goals during Bayern's European run. His French teammate Michael Olise took second place in the ballot with 203 votes, cementing Bayern's presence at the top of the individual rankings. VfB Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav, previously of Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise, finished in third position with 61 votes. Kane's victory is the first by a foreign player since Kevin De Bruyne won the accolade while playing for VfL Wolfsburg in 2015.

Statistical dominance and domestic double

The individual awards reflect Bayern Munich's dominant domestic campaign across the 2025–2026 season. Under Kompany, Bayern won the Bundesliga title with 89 points, recording 28 victories, five draws, and one defeat across the 34-game schedule. The squad set a scoring mark with 122 league goals while conceding 36 times. Bayern completed the domestic double by defeating Stuttgart 3-0 in the final of the national cup competition. In European competition, the team reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League before being eliminated by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern opened the 2026–2027 competitive calendar on Saturday, August 22, by defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Supercup.