A Clear Opinion: Matthäus Weighs In on the Kimmich Debate | OneFootball

Joshua Kimmich missed the last two DFB matches. Lothar Matthäus now clarifies how he views the Bayern captain’s role.

The debate over Joshua Kimmich’s status on the German national team continues. During Jürgen Klopp’s first international window, the Bayern star was only part of the initial portion of the expanded squad and therefore missed the matches against Serbia and Greece.

Because Aleksandar Pavlovic and Tom Bischof impressed in the center of the defense without Kimmich, there has recently been discussion about how indispensable the 31-year-old still is for the future. Several former DFB stars have also weighed in on the debate.

Lothar Matthäus, however, doesn’t want to hear anything about a fundamental “Kimmich question”: “Jürgen Klopp has already explained why he took this measure and why the team had to manage without their captain twice,” the record-holding national team player told RTL/Sky after the 0-0 draw in Greece.

Matthäus: “As far as I’m concerned, Joshua Kimmich is a sure thing.”

Matthäus then made his position clear: “As far as I’m concerned, Joshua Kimmich is a sure starter. I’m not getting involved at all in this discussion about whether we need him or not.”

The 65-year-old also recalled Klopp’s first game of the new season in the Nations League against the Netherlands: “For me, Joshua Kimmich was the best field player in the first game in the Netherlands. He’s a leader; he has experience. He helps make teams stronger,” Matthäus explained.

Photo: IMAGO

Kimmich himself would have liked to stay for the second part of the international break as well. Klopp, however, stuck to his plan to split up his 44-player squad.

For Matthäus, this doesn’t change Kimmich’s standing. Although his Bayern teammates Pavlovic and Bischof have made a good impression, Kimmich remains, in his view, an integral part of the DFB squad.