Joshua Kimmich would have liked to stay with the German national team longer. However, national team coach Jürgen Klopp decided even before the start of the international break to name his captain only for the first of two squads.
As a result, Kimmich will miss both the match against Serbia in Munich and the subsequent rematch against Greece. Especially after the 0-1 loss to Greece, the Bayern player would have liked to stay with his teammates.
“I had hoped to stay until the very end—and of course I would have liked to stay,” Kimmich explained after the match. At the same time, the 31-year-old accepted Klopp’s decision: “But I understand that the coach simply wants to get to know other players as well.”
Sammer sees a clear signal from Kimmich
Matthias Sammer can relate to Kimmich’s reaction. The former Bayern sporting director interprets Kimmich’s desire to stay with the DFB team—despite the original plan—primarily as an expression of his sense of responsibility.
“After the game against Greece, which didn’t go so well, Josh is trying to show that he’s the captain and wants to lead the way,” Sammer told the Abendzeitung München.
For the 59-year-old, this attitude is fundamentally positive. “I always think it’s good when people feel a sense of responsibility and say, ‘Actually, I shouldn’t leave here because we lost.’”
However, Sammer doesn’t see any cause for concern regarding the early departure. Rather, he assumes that Klopp has made it clear to his captain why he’s relying on other players for now.
“He shouldn’t let this drive him crazy,” Sammer emphasized, adding: “Without me knowing it, Jürgen Klopp must have told him: ‘Stay calm. I know you. I want to get to know the others. Go home and don’t worry about it.’”
Klopp wants to get to know his other options
Klopp had already made it clear when announcing his two squads that he wanted to use the current international break to get to know as many players as possible up close. The new national team coach already has a much more comprehensive picture of Kimmich than of many other candidates.
Among others, this now benefits the two Bayern Munich pros Aleksandar Pavlovic and Tom Bischof, who can hope for playing time against Serbia.
Sammer, too, takes a relaxed view of Klopp’s approach. In his opinion, the situation might be assessed differently at a later point in time. “If this weren’t right at the very beginning, but rather after half a year, they might have had to talk again about whether he wants to stay. But as it is, it’s quite relaxed.”
For Kimmich, the break offers at least one advantage: the Bayern star can recover in Munich. After all, an intense schedule awaits the captain of the record-holding champions in the coming weeks, with the Bundesliga, DFB Cup, and Champions League on the horizon.