Although Joshua Kimmich is no longer part of the active DFB squad, the Bayern star remains a major topic of conversation surrounding the German national team. After the 2-0 win over Serbia, Jürgen Klopp once again found himself in the midst of a discussion about his captain—and responded firmly.
Kimmich hadn’t made the best impression in the first two games under the new national team coach against the Netherlands and Greece. In the first victory of the Klopp era, however, the 31-year-old was absent from the field.
Instead, it was his two Bayern teammates, of all people—Aleksandar Pavlovic and Tom Bischof—who impressed in central midfield. Both were among the most notable German players in the 2-0 win over Serbia. Bischof scored the opening goal, while Pavlovic stood out with his presence in the center.
Klopp senses a new Kimmich debate
At the post-match press conference, Klopp was asked whether Florian Wirtz had found it easier to play alongside Pavlovic and Bischof. The German national team coach apparently interpreted the question as an indirect attempt to spark a debate about whether the German midfield functions better without Kimmich.
“It’s such a lovely evening. And without bringing it up, you want to raise an issue that isn’t an issue,” Klopp replied.
The 59-year-old made it clear that he didn’t want to tie Wirtz’s performance to specific teammates. “Flo Wirtz doesn’t need certain players to play alongside him.”
When the journalist clarified that his question wasn’t aimed at Kimmich, Klopp stood by his assessment. “And in the end, it’ll turn into a Jo Kimmich story. You guys are good at that,” said the national team coach.
“Unfortunately, I can’t go along with that.”
The reporter pointed out that he hadn’t mentioned Kimmich’s name at all. Klopp nevertheless wanted to prevent the team’s convincing performance against Serbia from turning into a fundamental debate about his captain.
Above all, Klopp refuted the possible narrative that Germany plays better without Kimmich: “Unfortunately, I can’t go along with that one.”
For the national team coach, the focus is instead on the team’s playing philosophy. This should function regardless of which players are currently available. “The soccer has to remain consistent—the lineup cannot,” Klopp emphasized.
Kimmich is not part of the second squad for the matches against Serbia and Greece. According to BILD, the Bayern Munich player watched the 2-0 victory at the Allianz Arena from the stands. Klopp had already stated that he wanted to deliberately see how other players perform when established leaders aren’t on the field.
The national team coach was extremely satisfied with the results of this experiment against Serbia. He said he was “very happy with the performance,” but explicitly stated that he “doesn’t feel that it only works in this lineup.”
In doing so, Klopp showed his support for his captain. At the same time, Pavlovic and Bischof demonstrated with their strong performance that competition in the German midfield has become significantly fiercer.