da bwin： Everything you need to know about Germany and Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich.
da bwin： Joshua Kimmich is a professional football player from Germany who is widely recognized for his versatility, technical ability, and tactical intelligence. Born on February 8, 1995, in Rottweil, Germany, Kimmich has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world.
Kimmich began his youth career at VfB Bosingen before joining the youth academy of VfB Stuttgart. In 2013, he signed a contract with RB Leipzig, where he made his professional debut in the 2. Bundesliga. Kimmich's impressive performances attracted the attention of Bayern Munich, and in the summer of 2015, he joined the German giants.
At Bayern Munich, Kimmich quickly made a name for himself with his exceptional work rate, technical skills, and versatility. He initially played as a right-back but gradually transitioned into a central midfield role. Kimmich's ability to read the game and make precise passes earned him comparisons to former Bayern captain Philipp Lahm.
Kimmich's intelligence and adaptability have made him a key player for both Bayern Munich and the German national team. He has won numerous domestic and international titles throughout his career. With Bayern Munich, he has won multiple Bundesliga titles, DFB-Pokal trophies, and the UEFA Champions League. He was also instrumental in Germany's victory at the 2017 Confederations Cup.
Individually, Kimmich has received several accolades, including being named in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season and the FIFPro World XI. He has also been nominated for the FIFA FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year. In addition, he has been recognized as the German Footballer of the Year.
Here are 13 fun facts about Joshua Kimmich you need to know.
Started his career with Gnabry and Werner
Kimmich was a part of VfB Stuttgart's highly renowned academy, where he spent a considerable amount of his youth career. At Stuttgart, he was teammates with future national side colleagues Timo Werner and Serge Gnabry.
While he never reunited with Werner at RB Leipzig, with the forward joining the club a year after Kimmich left, he met Gnabry again at Bayern Munich when the former Arsenal winger joined in 2018.
AdvertisementWas not considered good enough at Stuttgart
While he rose through the academy levels during his early years at Stuttgart, the senior staff did not consider him good enough to even make it to the club's reserves squad. "'You're not good enough, your body is not strong enough,' the coaches told me, adding that I needed another year with the youth team," said Kimmich in an interview regarding his early playing days.
However, he did not let their criticism get to him and used it as motivation to move on and excel elsewhere. Coincidentally, the coach who scouted him for VfB Stuttgart also happened to move to RB Leipzig, who wasted no time in signing Kimmich, and as they say, the rest is history.
Pep Guardiola chose him
While the coaches at VfB Stuttgart may not have recognised the 2020 Champions League winner's potential, one Pep Guardiola who was the manager of Bayern Munich in 2015 saw the talent stored within Kimmich.
Midway through Kimmich's first season in 2. Bundesliga, Guardiola, and the midfielder had a meeting where the Spanish coach immediately convinced him to join Bayern Munich. While the former Barcelona manager left for Manchester City in 2016, he still remains a great influence on the player.
Has won the Bundesliga every season
Since making his Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich in 2015-16, Kimmich has won the league title in each of his eight seasons so far, making him a legend in German football at the ripe age of 28.
The closest Kimmich's league streak came to being stopped was during the 2022-23 season when Bayern Munich almost lost the title to rivals Borrusia Dortmund until a last-minute winner from midfielder Jamal Musiala against FC Koln on the last matchday.