Kimmich’s contract is a coup: the man who rules Bayern Munich

Monday 23 August 2021

Kimmich’s contract is a coup
The man who rules Bayern Munich

By Tobias Nordmann

Bayern Munich has successfully dealt with an important personal issue. The Bundesliga club prematurely extended the contract with Joshua Kimmich by two years until 2025. The 26-year-old is already a key player in the squad and will become even more important in the future.

Joshua Kimmish says what he thinks. It’s a little uncomfortable at times. For example for Joachim Löw. After all, he thought it was a great idea to put the Bayern Munich player on the right wing of the national team. Now there are good arguments for that. The strongest thing was: Kimmich is the best man in Germany for the job. There is a lot of truth in that. But the problem was that the 26-year-old was much better in midfield. Lots of experts found it. And by the way, the player himself, on the right, admitted that he sometimes feels “without orders.” This statement did not cause any relief. It has fueled controversy over the eternal position.

This should shut up now. Because Joachim Löw is history. His successor is Hansi Flick. Few thoughts should be lost in moving Joshua Kimmish from his heart. Because no one knows better how important the bile driver is in the center. After all, Flick shaped him to become the strongest powerhouse in European football during his tenure as coach of Bayern Munich alongside Leon Goretzka. The duo ruled in midfield like the legendary Xavi and Andres Iniesta at Barcelona. But they did it in a completely different way. Less elegant and compact than powerful and adversarial.

In his first season as a coach in Munich, Flick had put together a dominant team and pressure on the turf that took all the titles. Greedly and his self-image is guided by heart and brain Kimish. The 26-year-old combined the defensive fortress around Jerome Boateng and David Alaba (both have since left the club) with unrestrained offensive beasts around Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski. And because Kimmich plays the way he does. Safe on the ball, outstanding in game design, strong in fencing, clear in advertising, indomitable in mentality, he is the most important man in the team. Despite Manuel Neuer in goal, despite Muller as an independent artist in attack and despite Lewandowski’s landslide victory as the best striker in the world currently. Bayern and Titan president Oliver Kahn said: “I once said for fun: Joshua is more ambitious than me. It means a lot.” This is actually very true

Kahn also says: “Joshua Kimmich knows he has a chance to achieve all his ambitious goals at Bayern Munich. The package we can offer him is very attractive for every major international player.” Recently, the Bavarians have made the club’s allure a theme. Alternative ways can be found to attract and retain the best players. The financial absurdity of international competition cannot keep up with Paris Saint-Germain (Lionel Messi, for example), Chelsea (Romelo Lukaku), Manchester United (Jadon Sancho) and Manchester City (Jack Grealish).

‘A team I can achieve anything with’

Realizing that Kimmich is and will remain the most important man, of course, they have had record champions with for a long time. That is why they prioritized conversations with Kimmich. And his contract, which was not actually going to expire until the summer of 2023, has already been extended until 2025. Munich has learned from the big problems of the past. Important personal details are now processed at an early stage. They don’t want to try another theater like the one that happened in the failed negotiations with David Alaba. Joshua Kimmich, who says what he’s thinking, now says: “I have a team where I can achieve anything, and a lot of other players have become true friends. I don’t see myself at the end of my development yet and I’m convinced that a lot of things are possible at Bayern in the years to come.” next few. My family also feels very comfortable here.”

They are provisions without any detonation. take a deep breath. Because even in Munich, Kimmich already experienced ruffles for his fast style. After a shock 3-2 shakeout in the sixth round of the 2019/20 season at SC Paderborn’s rookie club, he slammed the entire season. “You have to realize that we still haven’t been able to control the match over 90 minutes,” Kimmich grumbled. “Even the last games we won were clearly not the way we would like.” Especially when the ball is in possession that makes the national player angry. “We don’t always manage to show dominance with secure possession and that means we keep signaling to our opponents that something is possible.” By the way, it was coach Niko Kovac, who was released a few weeks later, Bayern seemed very insecure.

It was the sentences that reminded us of Philip Lahm. The gimp Kimmich has been compared over and over again. For her size, for her style, for her game, for her stature. Lahm attacked his sportingly swaying club (Bayern Munich) in the fall of 2009, violently shaken by the unexpected words of his local man in his understanding of Mia San Mia. Without consulting the club, the 25-year-old gave an interview to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Lahm saw that Bayern Munich had no playing philosophy, that there was no idea behind the transfers, and that the constant change of coach (Hitzfeld, Klinsmann, Heynckes) upset the team. Zeit commented on the provocative statements of the good and eloquent colleague as sharpening the image of professional Lam. His club felt that this harmed the club’s image and sentenced his professional to a hefty fine of 50,000 euros, the highest in the club’s history.

Kimmich is the boss. Undisputed.

Just as Kimmich was right to be angry a couple of years ago, he was clearly being pimped by bosses: then-CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: “If you’re being criticized, you have to take the flag in your hand and go up and then everyone has to run after them. Then they have to give a performance. Great. Now they have to claim themselves, too.” After all, taking responsibility is not a matter of age. You didn’t need this ad, Kimish is the type of leader. It was already at that time. It is not for nothing that he is considered the future captain of the record champions and the national team. Once Manuel Neuer leaves, although that will take some time. Because Neuer still feels it.

Just like Thomas Muller. and Robert Lewandowski. However, it is not entirely clear with the striker whether he necessarily associates this desire with Bayern Munich or whether he does not want to tackle a completely different challenge. In Munich he finally achieved it all. Well, regardless, the big stars on the team all have a “3” up front. They could still shape the near future, but then at the latest, the new generation around Kimmich will take full responsibility. And Kimmich, that’s the boss. Undisputed. How well I actually mastered the record champions game became clear when I weakened once.

At the end of last season, Kimmich got tired of playing too much. Irreplaceable. There was no player who could give him breaks last season (before there was Thiago) and there is no now (hopes are pinned on the forever injured Corentin Tolisso). Weak point in the mini menu. How tired Kimmich was was especially evident in the two Champions League quarter-final matches against Paris Saint-Germain. When the Munich team needed a dominant Kimmich, he was drained. He struggled hard for control and dominance. He lost that battle. Often this doesn’t happen because Kimmich is the guy who refuses to lose. After the bitter knockout, he explained how much defeat was bothering him. He admitted on Instagram how “deep the disappointment” is and that “it’s really hard for me to process the whole thing”. He asserted that he “100 per cent believe at all times” that “we can win the championship”. Despite his success with Bayern Munich, his record with the national team is bitter. The 2018 World Cup disaster, the Nations League disaster, and this summer, finally eliminated in the Round of 16 including the end of the Löw era.

Kimmich wants to change that. The next opportunity will be at the end of next year. in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Then with national coach Flick. At the heart of the team. Where the game rules.