The Bayern midfielder spoke exclusively to bundesliga.com about the threat of RB Leipzig to their Bundesliga crown and his hopes with the national team ahead of their UEFA European Championship bid this summer.
bundesliga. com: Congratulations on the win against Augsbourg. La first part of the season is now over. So, looking ahead to the second half of the season, which starts on Sunday against Schalke, what did you like about the first half?of the season and what do you want to improve?
Joshua Kimmich: “I particularly liked the first game against Schalke. I think it’s our most productive game of the first part of the season. We’re happy to be at the top of the table and we want to keep the momentum going. “, but we also know we can play better, as we’ve done in some games.
Watch: Joshua Kimmich’s midfield masterclass
bundesliga. com: Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig. . . There are many who persecute you. Who is your biggest rival right now and why?
Joshua Kimmich: “At the moment it’s Leipzig. They’re in a moment in the table and I think they’re playing very intelligent football. They concede fewer goals and score more goals than their opponents, so they win their games, obviously not yet like us. we won 1-0, we don’t like it, we didn’t win 1-0, we won 3-2 or something because we concede more goals than Leipzig. . . But at the moment they are consistent and win their games. games, so they’re our biggest rivals right now.
bundesliga. com: Everyone remembers your goal of winning the league last season against Dortmund and clearly one of the key players in your team. Where does that winning mentality come from?
Joshua Kimmich: “I don’t know. I have had this since I was a little kid, not only in football but also in other sports or games. I always try to win because then it’s more fun for me and so this character developed. But I don’t know where it started.”
bundesliga. com: How has this winning mentality evolved over the years, from playing football as a child to today?
Joshua Kimmich: “There wasn’t a special moment, I think I was the same character 10 years ago, so there wasn’t a special moment where I replaced my brain or anything like that. I think I sought to lead, even in my youth, and now I have to keep it that way.
bundesliga. com: Against Augsburg he played his fifth game since his knee injury. How, as a dressing room manager, have you created a positive effect on the team during your time away from the pitch?
Joshua Kimmich: “yes, it’s hard. When you’re injured, you’re a bit isolated from the team, but I try to communicate with my teammates, I rarely write anything in our chat. You’re a little bit separated from the team, I still go out to be in touch with them. At first I had to concentrate on my recovery, on helping the team again, because from the couch it’s not so easy to help.
bundesliga. com: Alphonso Davies, Robert Lewandowski and yourself have reached FIFPro World 11. In addition, many experts describe him as a world-class player in offense and defense, but he is also known for being very ambitious. Where do you see your prospects? Even better than you are lately?What areas do you still need to improve on?
Joshua Kimmich: “At each and every point in my game, I can organize, I can score more often, win more balls in midfield to help my team. I think I can also play to my strengths. My progression is not yet complete.
bundesliga. com: Lewandowski set a new goal record at Hinrunde. Do you think it is possible for him to surpass Gerd Müller’s record of 40 goals?
Joshua Kimmich: “The most important thing is that he continues to have compatibility and then he can beat that record. I expect him to score once or twice a game because he’s also smart for the team and I hope he beats them.
bundesliga. com: There is a wonderful skill in Bayern’s midfield these days: Jamal Musiala. How do you assess its evolution so far and what are you capable of in the future?
Joshua Kimmich: “Jamal is incredible for his age, he has very intelligent control of the ball, he has a transparent mind. He has a positive spirit, he tries to inform us and when he comes into play. He is betting well, he is keeping the ball, he gave him a smart dribble, I think now he scores 3 goals, or two goals, and you see his potential. As he plays more often, he grows and improves more and more. I hope that we, and especially me, can help him become into a great Bayern Munich player.
bundesliga.com: Can you explain what went through your head during one of your best plays in the first game of this season against Schalke, when you gave that nice assist to Leroy Sane?
Joshua Kimmich: “Here, on the first play, I just tried to hold the ball, not lose it. It wasn’t easy because there were two opposing sides, but I was a bit lucky and then I could see the area in front of me. I looked around, saw that no one was coming towards me, so I had time to see Leroy and lend him a hand.
bundesliga. com: Is it hard to keep a cool head when there’s so much action around you?
Joshua Kimmich: “When you’re not so fast in your body, you have to be fast in your brain and one of the two things you have to be fast and I think I’m faster in my brain than I am in my body. “
Watch: Joshua Kimmich’s great performance helped Bayern beat Schalke 8-0
bundesliga. com: And what went through your mind before your goal against Dortmund?
Joshua Kimmich: “I won the ball in midfield, I know as a central midfielder it’s not easy to get the ball back in that scenario, with [Thomas] Delaney there, but I can win it and maybe I passed too early for Robert, so maybe he didn’t score and he had to go through. I took the ball with my right foot, maybe it would be more with my left and it’s less difficult to score with my right foot. I didn’t do well in that scenario, but I had a very quick reaction on the second ball, so luckily I was able to score afterwards, but it was just a quick reaction. I saw the ball go over the goalkeeper, so I expected it to fly towards the goal and not over the goal, then when my teammates were screaming, I knew I was in.
bundesliga.com: Shortly after the end of the Bundesliga season you will meet some of your Bayern teammates again, facing them at the European Championships and there will be a very early duel between Germany and France. Have you already talked about that with the likes of Kingsley Coman and the other Frenchmen in the locker room or maybe right after the draw? Do you look forward to it?
Joshua Kimmich: “Yeah, of course, after the draw and sometimes we speak about it in the locker room. There are a few months to go, so it’s in the future now. We spoke about it but not every day. It will be a big challenge for both teams, because for both teams it’s a strong opponent in the first game.”
bundesliga. com: How can we believe in these discussions? Is there a lot of teasing?
Joshua Kimmich: “To have a little fun, talk about it and seek to have a little fun, it’s not too bad. “
bundesliga. com: This is your chance to win a trophy you have never won before. How do you assess the German team’s chances in this complicated organization?
Joshua Kimmich: “It is a difficult organization. It is not easy to overcome this organization, but that is, of course, our pass. To win our matches, we know that we have a lot of work ahead of us because the last matches were not very approved. We know it , we have to improve, we have to play better and we will try, then we will see. I think we have the quality to go to the next round.
bundesliga. com: You will be identified as one of the most important players of the German national team. How do you define or interpret this role in the national team?
Joshua Kimmich: “Yes, of course, it’s a bit different, because here at Bayern Munich you’re with your teammates and with the national team every day, the team adapts a bit. Here you have a year or six months with the same team, the same teammates, so in the national team it’s a little bit more difficult to locate your role in the team, especially for new players, so it’s a little bit different to training, because players sometimes replace each other.
bundesliga. com: Before the European Championship you will receive a wax statue in Berlin, voted for by the fans. Is this a special honor for you?
Joshua Kimmich: “It’s always special when you’re voted by the fans, then you know there are some people out there who like you and it’s a nice feeling. I’m honoured by this.”
bundesliga. com: And it’s a sporty pose with a ball. What would your personal wax figure look like if you could decide?
Joshua Kimmich: “If there’s a personal meeting, and I hope it’s not public, I think it would be with my kids, on the couch, with my girlfriend. “
bundesliga. com: What’s the most in store for you after the pandemic?
Joshua Kimmich: “I think everyone hopes that there will be life after the coronavirus, fainting around the city, seeing other people smile, going to a restaurant or a café. Also, when the youngsters can move on to the “Kita”, as we call it in German (nursery), it will be smart for the parents, so the house will be a little quieter and for the youngsters it will also be wonderful to meet other youngsters and play with them. I think a little bit about how life in general would be wonderful for all of us.
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