He’s gone from strength to strength. Since transferring to Bayern in 2015, the 22-year old has become a regular in the side. Since making his debut for the German national side in 2016, he has now captained the team twice. On Wednesday, FCB travel to Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal. It will the occasion for Kimmich’s return to the side he was promoted to the Bundesliga with.
In March 2016, Kimmich started as centre-back against Borussia Dortmund, but it wasn’t the young German’s performance that was discussed after the game, but an argument between him and head coach, Guardiola.
While Guardiola wildly gesticulates at his young defender, Kimmich looks tired – he barely responds to the telling-off. Afterwards, Guardiola played down the incident, saying “I told him he is one of the best full-backs in the world. But not just that – I also told him he could play anywhere on the pitch.”
Third division, not youth football
It was a key moment in Kimmich’s career, even though it was represented differently in Guardiola’s biography that was published some months later – he praised the German international after first criticizing the performance. Kimmich pushed on, securing a permanent position in the Bayern starting line-up and showed the world how much potential he had. At the end of the season, the full-back celebrated with the DFB-Pokal and league title.
Most of all, Kimmich proved wrong all those that doubted his move to Munich. It was the second time he let his football do the talking. As a VfB Stuttgart player, some pointed to his lack of robustness. At Stuttgart, the club advised him to play for the youth team, but Kimmich wanted more.
Rapid development at Leipzig
When he transferred to Leipzig for the 2013/14 season, Kimmich was given responsibility from day one. In the third tier he came up against the second team of his former club, Stuttgart II, and won. “I felt amazing when I left the pitch,” said Kimmich afterwards. “I showed the people who doubted me that I was good enough for professional football.”
This wasn’t the only thing that justified his decision to move to Leipzig. He grew in maturity playing at a professional level. “The training and whole coaching team were very good. From the doctor to the head coach to the physios – the feeling at the club was very positive,” said Kimmich after the move.
Development under Guardiola
After being promoted to the second division with Leipzig, Joshua Kimmich won the U19 European Cup. He played the whole 90 minutes in the final. The full-back then pushed on during the next season with Leipzig, but it wasn’t enough to get promoted again. What it did do was put him on a lot of clubs’ radars.
He’s gone from strength to strength. Since transferring to Bayern in 2015, the 22-year old has become a regular in the side. Since making his debut for the German national side in 2016, he has now captained the team twice. On Wednesday, FCB travel to Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal. It will the occasion for Kimmich’s return to the side he was promoted to the Bundesliga with.
In March 2016, Kimmich started as centre-back against Borussia Dortmund, but it wasn’t the young German’s performance that was discussed after the game, but an argument between him and head coach, Guardiola.
While Guardiola wildly gesticulates at his young defender, Kimmich looks tired – he barely responds to the telling-off. Afterwards, Guardiola played down the incident, saying “I told him he is one of the best full-backs in the world. But not just that – I also told him he could play anywhere on the pitch.”
Third division, not youth football
It was a key moment in Kimmich’s career, even though it was represented differently in Guardiola’s biography that was published some months later – he praised the German international after first criticizing the performance. Kimmich pushed on, securing a permanent position in the Bayern starting line-up and showed the world how much potential he had. At the end of the season, the full-back celebrated with the DFB-Pokal and league title.
Most of all, Kimmich proved wrong all those that doubted his move to Munich. It was the second time he let his football do the talking. As a VfB Stuttgart player, some pointed to his lack of robustness. At Stuttgart, the club advised him to play for the youth team, but Kimmich wanted more.
Rapid development at Leipzig
When he transferred to Leipzig for the 2013/14 season, Kimmich was given responsibility from day one. In the third tier he came up against the second team of his former club, Stuttgart II, and won. “I felt amazing when I left the pitch,” said Kimmich afterwards. “I showed the people who doubted me that I was good enough for professional football.”
This wasn’t the only thing that justified his decision to move to Leipzig. He grew in maturity playing at a professional level. “The training and whole coaching team were very good. From the doctor to the head coach to the physios – the feeling at the club was very positive,” said Kimmich after the move.
Development under Guardiola
After being promoted to the second division with Leipzig, Joshua Kimmich won the U19 European Cup. He played the whole 90 minutes in the final. The full-back then pushed on during the next season with Leipzig, but it wasn’t enough to get promoted again. What it did do was put him on a lot of clubs’ radars.
And so came a meeting with Pep. “I was really nervous when I first met him, but I felt his belief straight away. I knew right then I wanted to play for Bayern.” There may have been trust from the side of the head coach, but in public, people continued to doubt. Slowly but surely though, Kimmich started pushing for a regular place in the team.
From youth player to playing in the European Cup
He developed so much in that time that Joachim Löw selected Kimmich for Germany’s match against Slovakia, his debut, and then shortly later for the squad to play in France 2016. But after the manager change at Bayern, Kimmich got less and less match time. There was speculation he was out of favour with Ancelotti and could return to Leipzig.
All this ended when Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated that Kimmich was Bayern’s long-term replacement for Philipp Lahm. Kimmich then grew in confidence with his strong performances at the Confederations Cup, and has played almost every minute of the new season.
Kimmich is also expected to start against Leipzig on Wednesday but the nay-sayers will struggle to find anything to say this time round. Joshua Kimmich has moved from strength to strength in the past months and years. It feels like a long time ago since that argument with Guardiola.
