Whether Guardiola, Löw or Flick: Bayern professional Joshua Kimmich sees all his coaches as a special player. And such a person is encouraged accordingly. The international himself has well-known role models. And at the age of 25, he faced crucial years.
Munich (AP) - Joshua Kimmich may not have suspected anything of this admirer so far. Soccer player Giulia Gwinn from FC Bayern describes her Munich colleague Kimmich as a role model.
"I think his way of playing is totally cool. I like to watch him. How he appears, how he developed from a rather calm player to a manager. That is someone I look up to," said the 20-year-old who is currently active with the German women's national team at the Algarve Cup in Portugal.
Defensive all-rounder Gwinn is not an isolated case with her enthusiasm for the international. On the contrary: Kimmich at Bayern find quite a few very good, if not all. Because the 25-year-old is an all-rounder who is currently working particularly intensively on becoming an absolute manager at the German record champions.
"He can do everything. He has developed into a leading player and a personality in recent years. For me he is one of the best players in Europe," said sports director Hasan Salihamidzic this week after 1-0 at Schalke 04 As an unusual center-back and scorer, Kimmich led the record cup winner to the semi-finals of the national cup competition.
Whether Hansi Flick or Joachim Löw: Kimmich is the favorite of all coaches. "Joshua is a player who can play in many positions and always at a very, very high level," said Bayern coach Flick before the Bundesliga home game on Sunday (3:30 p.m.) against FC Augsburg about one of his model students.
Right-back, inside cover, clearing in front of the defense - Kimmich performs his duties in a wide variety of defensive positions. But he prefers to act as a six, as the "centerpiece" in the midfield, as he describes the clearing position before the defense itself: "In the central midfield, you are just closer to the other players. It makes it easier for me to bring in my emotions."
Born in Rottweiler, he takes responsibility. It is extremely ambitious. Sometimes Kimmich even seems overly ambitious, exhausting. In summer 2015 he came to Munich from RB Leipzig for 8.5 million euros, but which went to VfB Stuttgart. Pep Guardiola recognized his special talent and promoted him as a trainer in Munich.
However, Joachim Löw had the most significant influence on Kimmich's development. The national coach made Kimmich the right defender at the 2016 European Championships and thus the successor to Philipp Lahm and, after the messed-up World Cup 2018, finally a sixth in the national team. These developments were repeated in the club.
Hansi Flick, Löw's assistant at the DFB for a long time, also sees Kimmich's future in midfield. Together with Thiago, the 25-year-old forms a splendid tandem in the Munich control center.
"It is important for me that we have a certain axis and stability," said Flick. "From the development step it is now necessary that he tries to lead the team even more - especially in the position of the six with Thiago. The two do that in the position outstanding. The team can benefit from that."
Kimmich is ready for it: For him "a leader is someone who wants to get his teammates involved, who doesn't just look at his own performance, who values team success." He was impressed by former Bayern colleagues like the powerful Arturo Vidal or the strategist Xabi Alonso. At 25, Kimmich now has the years ahead when it comes to international fame, big titles with FC Bayern (Champions League) and the national team (EM, WM).
The record champion tied him to himself early on. The contract of Kimmich, Bavaria's leader also runs until 2023 after Manuel Neuer (33), Robert Lewandowski (31) or Thomas Müller (30).
Bayern squad
Bavaria game plan
Bundesliga table
Title wins FC Bayern
Team statistics FC Bayern
Kimmich facts and figures
Pk Bayern coach Flick before game against Augsburg
Squad FC Augsburg