Joshua Kimmich is an individual that is entirely synonymous with intensity, as it is well and truly a collector’s item to find a match for either Bayern Munich or Germany where the midfielder/right back does not let out a series of intensive shouts, commands, or find himself at the heart of mid-yelling photographs. Ever since making his break into Bayern’s first team under Pep Guardiola, Kimmich has become one of the club’s most important players, and it should come as no surprise whatsoever that Julian Nagelsmann gave him the captain’s armband for Germany after both Manuel Neuer and Ilkay Gündoğan retired from international football.
It is very much expected that Kimmich will also one day become captain of FC Bayern, as he has already shown how much of a leader he can be both on and off the pitch for the Rekordmeister. From his early days at the club making his break with Guardiola up to now, he has had to go through a lot of different obstacles to get to where he is at now for both club and country.
From playing for seven different managers for Bayern, three different managers for Germany, becoming the subject of heavy scrutiny for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine, and all of the ups and downs that have come during his time as a professional footballer, there has been a noticeable growth in Kimmich. He has found ways to keep himself more calm, levelled, and centered, which is something he recently touched on from Germany’s Frankfurt camp ahead of their pair of UEFA Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary.
“It doesn’t make sense to define yourself only through football. Sports isn’t everything. I used to be very dependent on wins and defeats. Today I see everything a bit more calmly. That’s also largely due to my children. I no longer make myself so dependent on sporting success,” Kimmich explained in a press conference from Germany’s camp in Frankfurt (@iMiaSanMia).
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
For those that have seen the FC Bayern documentary on Amazon Prime, they will vividly remember Kimmich hurling his sweat-drenched jersey onto the locker room wall after losing out to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League knockout stages in 2021, but the display of fiery passion is a perhaps just a moment in a time capsule that captures Kimmich’s growth. With a family of his own to look after outside of FC Bayern, there is added perspective for Kimmich and he is able to adequately deal with and adjust to all of the pressures that come with being a professional footballer at such a high level.
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