Aleksandar Pavlovic takes a clear stance in the debate surrounding Joshua Kimmich. For the Bayern star, his teammate’s importance is beyond question.
In recent weeks, there has been much discussion about the composition of the German midfield. In particular, the strong performances by Aleksandar Pavlovic and Tom Bischof under national team coach Jürgen Klopp have raised the question of whether Joshua Kimmich will have to fight harder for his spot on the DFB team in the future.
Pavlovic himself, however, isn’t too concerned with this discussion. In an in-depth interview with Sport BILD, the 22-year-old made it unmistakably clear just how important Kimmich is to him.
When asked whether Kimmich might have to worry about his spot given the strong performances by Pavlovic and Bischof, the Bayern Munich player replied: “For me, this discussion doesn’t exist. Joshua is our captain on the national team and at FC Bayern. Everyone knows how important he is to us.”
With that, Pavlovic has clearly thrown his support behind his longtime teammate. Recently, a debate had arisen within the DFB squad about Kimmich’s role under Klopp. Among others, Lothar Matthäus had described Pavlovic as a potentially better fit for the classic “six” position given his profile.
Pavlovic raves about playing alongside Kimmich
However, Pavlovic sees less competition between himself and Kimmich and more of a well-functioning partnership. “I’ve been playing alongside him at FC Bayern for years in the defensive midfield role—it’s incredibly fun. We complement each other perfectly,” explained the German national team player.
At the same time, Pavlovic also singled out Tom Bischof: “Of course, it works well with Tom, too. But it’s nice that we have so many good players in this position in Germany. That’s why I think this discussion is unnecessary.”
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Bischof had recently made a name for himself with strong performances for the national team. At FC Bayern, too, the 21-year-old is increasingly being seen as a serious option in the midfield. However, the youngster failed to impress in the 3-3 draw in Stavanger. Vincent Kompany, though, had already tempered the recent hype and made it clear that Kimmich remains a key part of the Munich squad’s plans.
Pavlovic himself is pleased with the growing competition in the German midfield. Together with Bischof, Lennart Karl, Jonas Urbig, and Nathaniel Brown, he represents a “new, fresh generation.” Speaking about his young Bayern teammates, he said, “We’re young, wild, and hungry.”
For Pavlovic, however, this doesn’t change Kimmich’s standing. While there is increasing discussion from the outside about a new hierarchy, the 22-year-old continues to see his captain as a central anchor—both at FC Bayern and on the national team.