As of: March 15, 2024, 11:41 a.m
By: Philipp Kessler, Manuel Bonke
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In the series “The Red (R)evolution” the tz compares yesterday and today at FC Bayern.
Part six is about the leading players of the German record champions.
Munich - FC Bayern, forever number one… Every football fan knows the red club anthem.
But how did the Munich team actually get to the top?
How did this development go and what are the differences to the current generation of players and fans?
The
tz
goes in the series
The red (r)evolution is looking for traces, comparing yesterday and today at the largest club in the world.
FC Bayern Munich |
|
|---|---|
Founding: |
February 27, 1900 |
Members: |
330,000 |
Achievements (selection): |
33 x German champions, 20 x DFB Cup winners, 6 x European Cup/Champions League winners |
Kimmich & Effenberg: This is how real FC Bayern winners tick
Part six is about FC Bayern's leading players.
What characterizes a leader?
Do you even need the captain's armband for this ranking?
How has a player's leadership style changed over the years?
And are there even real guys these days?
These and other questions are answered by Joshua Kimmich, who was chosen as the captain of the future years ago by ex-boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Bayern legend Stefan Effenberg, the “Tiger”, who is also considered a man of clear words.
That's what Joshua Kimmich says
Joshua Kimmich (29) never gives up - and he tries to instill this mentality in his teammates.
The best example: After Cologne's 1-1 draw on matchday 34 of last season - which meant losing the championship - FC Bayern's midfield boss motivated his colleagues again.
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“In the end, you always intervene when things aren’t going well, i.e. when there are setbacks.
If everything is good, then of course you let it run.
“It has a lot to do with gut feeling, for example to notice that something might be wrong with someone else, that they are insecure or nervous in some way,” says Kimmich in an interview with tz when asked
when
he intervenes as a leader.
Leading player Kimmich has already collected 20 titles with Bayern
“Then the nice thing about team sports is that you can influence it, support your own teammate and try to show that you can and will do it together.” In the end, the Munich team were able to win through the last-minute Goal from Jamal Musiala (20) still celebrate the title.
Number 20 (!) for Kimmich in the FC Bayern uniform.
Polarized: Bayern star Joshua Kimmich with his emotional nature. Here in front of the Freiburg “curve”.
© IMAGO/press photo Rudel/Robin Rudel
Kimmich was considered Pep Guardiola's favorite student
In 2015 he moved to the German record champions as a shooting star from RB Leipzig in the 2nd Bundesliga.
In Munich he became one of the favorite students of the then coach, Pep Guardiola (53/currently Manchester City).
Under the Catalan, the football-intelligent midfielder was even used as a central defender.
After Philipp Lahm (40) retired, Kimmich matured into one of the best right-backs in the world.
In autumn 2019 he returned to his regular position in the center of midfield.
Here too, Kimmich is one of the absolute top stars in Europe.
He can also make better use of his leadership qualities in this position - although he recently helped out as a right-back at both Bayern and the DFB without complaining and thus puts himself at the service of the team.
Kimmich: “First and foremost, it’s about your own performance, with which you have to move forward”
What do you think makes a leader special?
“First and foremost, it’s about your own performance, with which you have to move forward.
This is the only way to gain respect and be heard,” emphasizes Kimmich.
“Then it’s important to have the big picture in your head, to think about it, to define demands, to interact with teammates on and off the pitch, to commit yourself specifically to the cause and to the club’s goals.
In addition to focusing on your own personal development as a person and player, this also requires additional commitment.” It is also a question of your own personality as to whether you are ready for it.
The fact is: Kimmich, a father of four and free from scandals, is aware of his role.
Internally, he is an important contact person for many teammates.
He stood by Serge Gnabry (28) and Leroy Sané (28) as a friend during their sporting crisis.
He also helps the new arrivals get used to things, for example ex-loan player Joao Cancelo (29).
Driver Kimmich: “Can be encouraging, pushing, but sometimes also demanding and loud”
But Kimmich can also annoy his colleagues.
If he feels like they're not giving it their all on the pitch, he pushes them.
Which may not always be well received at first, but is always good and meant in the spirit of team success.
He clarifies: “In addition to focusing on myself, I try, for example, to have a positive influence on situations in the game.
This can be encouraging and pushing, but sometimes it can also be demanding and loud.
It’s helpful to be able to assess your teammates and their characters well and, if possible, to know who reacts and how.”
If something bothers Kimmich, he speaks about it - even publicly if he thinks it's necessary.
There used to be a lot of guys like that who spoke plainly at FC Bayern.
See Oliver Kahn (54), Lothar Matthäus (62) or Stefan Effenberg (55).
Nowadays you can hardly find them anymore.
“You have the feeling that you have fewer characters with rough edges these days,” confirms Kimmich.
But he also explains why this is the case: “But because of today's zeitgeist, it is certainly more difficult than it used to be.
Today, it feels like every little edge is constantly discussed, evaluated and ultimately found to be good or bad.
There is almost no space in between, less acceptance and differentiation.
Understandably, this inevitably leads to many people avoiding this constant focus.
But no one needs to be surprised about that.”
Kimmich on captain's armband: "It's an honor to wear it"
The positive: Kimmich doesn't want to bend.
Regardless of whether he is captain of a team or not.
“The captain's armband, whether in the club or in the national team, is a strong symbol to the outside world.
It is an honor to wear it and therefore combines a lot of respect, humility but also responsibility,” says Kimmich.
“However, it does not influence your own actions.
No matter whether with or without a bandage - you act as you are, as you see things and as your feelings and consciousness guide you.”
That's what Stefan Effenberg says
Oliver Kahn, Bixente Lizarazu, Mehmet Scholl, Jens Jeremies, Hasan Salihamidzic, Giovane Elber and Carsten Jancker: The team of the 2001 Champions League heroes was characterized by strong characters.
It was led by Stefan Effenberg as the undisputed leader.
Anyone who thought that Effenberg, as captain, would often have had to take tough action against this collection of extroverted personalities was wrong.
“The team had perfect characters.
“You didn’t have to have that much influence because everyone was extremely success-oriented and did everything for it,” remembers the Bayern legend in an interview with tz.
Bayern legend Stefan Effenberg.
© Tom Weller/German Press Agency GmbH/dpa
Effenberg took over the captaincy at FC Bayern from Thomas Helmer
When Effenberg returned to Munich from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1998, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld was the driving force behind the transfer.
When Thomas Helmer ended his career a year later, Effenberg took over the captain's armband from him.
“Ottmar really wanted me back then and therefore expressed and gave me his trust from the start.
We were always in close contact.”
Or to put it another way: the midfielder was an extension of the coach.
Hitzfeld knew that he could rely 100 percent on “Effe”.
“As a leader, you have to be there for your team in crucial phases.
You also have to protect your colleagues sometimes - even if there is criticism from outside.
Of course, this also puts pressure on yourself.
But that’s your duty,” says the World Cup winner, describing his style as a leader at the time.
Effenberg: “Then you have to show yourself as a leader”
But all of these leadership qualities are difficult to implement if the coach does not fully support his captain.
Hitzfeld did this.
Not just with Effenberg, but also with the other spokesmen like Kahn and Elber.
“Ottmar always said: I don’t need my leading players on the first, fourth or seventh matchday.
I need them when it matters most.
Then you have to show yourself as a leader.
That's why it's extremely important for leading players to have the trust of the coach.
“Ottmar Hitzfeld mastered that to perfection,” Effenberg still raves about his former coach today.
Effenberg: We used to be able to “move a little more freely”
But what is the difference between the leaders of yesteryear and today?
On this topic, the tiger speaks plainly: “Dealing with the media, with the public – that’s a different story now.
We had an opinion back then, we stood by our opinions and we also owned up to our mistakes.
And that ultimately allows you to mature into a personality.
They absolutely belong together, that’s very important.”
Nowadays there are many rules and templates that are set up.
There would have been rules in the past, “but we were able to move a little more freely.
That's the difference today, which is dominated by social media.
That's why the players are protected more.
Conversely, this is not good for personality development.
But we probably won't get that back.
That’s just how it is.”
Philipp Kessler, Manuel Bonke