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As Mark Hughes' men resume their UEFA Cup campaign in Copenhagen tonight, Belgian international Kompany - who hands back the skipper's armband to Richard Dunne - relishes the weight of expectation now resting on everyone's shoulders.
Kompany, who announced his August arrival from Hamburg with a man-of-the-match display at West Ham, said: "Ever since the new owners came, pressure has been normal for Manchester City to deal with.
"There has been pressure on the team, but the more pressure there is on my team, the happier I'll be that I'm in a good team. I love it. I've always looked forward to situations where you are playing for something that really matters.
"The UEFA Cup is a good competition to be playing in, but it's not the biggest thing that you can go for. There's a lot of things for us to improve, so pressure is good.
"I have enjoyed being captain, it was a good couple of weeks. It was a very good experience, and I've learned a lot. I'm confident that some day I will have the captaincy of a team."
Kompany will be more than happy to get back into European competition after admitting his frustration at the spoiling tactics employed by some Premier League sides when faced with Mark Hughes' talented squad.
He said: "Europe is completely different from playing in the Premier. We went to Schalke and won 2-0, but when you play in England you play against teams who maybe don't have the ability of a Schalke.
"They will just throw long balls in and make it a battle, make it a war. They make it so physical, so you have to respond physically. We haven't found a way around that yet.I'm confident we'll win away games, but we've still to find a solution.
"But we've had a good European run and we have to keep that going. There's a lot of excitement about this game after the group stage, now you really feel like you're playing for something. Every game you win gets you closer to the final.
"Let's see where we are after Copenhagen. I have a couple of friends in the Danish League and I know that Copenhagen are not a team to be underestimated. In a good year they can be worth a Champions League place, so it's a difficult game.
"But it's in our hands with the away leg first. It's a massive advantage in Europe. The team at home in the second leg is more likely to get something positive out of it. But you have to get the away result first. A win would be great.
"Europe is all about how you do over two games, and there's no reason why we shouldn't do well. We have to show them respect. And we have to give everything and remember there's no game that you can win by giving 80 per cent."
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