The timing may not be the best, but ZDF have released their documentary on Bayern Munich megastar Joshua Kimmich.
The TV crew have been following the 29-year-old for the past few years, and they’ve now aired ‘Joshua Kimmich – Leader and Driver’ amid Germany’s Euro 2024 campaign.
In one sense it may help the Germany camp, with Kimmich coming to the support of then Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann, who is now the head coach of the national team.
In March 2023 when Nagelsmann was sacked by Bayern, and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said that ‘the constellation between the team and the coach no longer worked’.
Responding to those comments in the documentary, Kimmich backed Nagelsmann, commenting: “I can’t agree with the idea that the coach has lost the dressing room.”
He added that the idea Nagelsmann was sacked because of the players rather than performances was wrong, saying: “I think the communication should have been handled differently.”
What may be more awkward for Kimmich, though, is one of his career lowlights when he came out against Covid vaccines during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Discussing the reaction to his stance, his wife Lina comments: “It got to him. It was very personal and sometimes no longer fair.”
Kimmich later got vaccinated, but didn’t understand why he was being targetted, saying: “It made me ask myself: ‘Is it my job as a professional athlete to convince people to get vaccinated?’ That is the job of politicians, scientists, experts. But it is not my job.”
Crucially, though, he revealed that he felt let down by his club.
“I felt left alone for too long,” he said. “I’ve been at the club for almost seven years now and there haven’t been that many scandals surrounding me.
“That was the first downturn, that’s when I noticed how the club reacted and I’m disappointed and hurt.
“The feeling of trust that I had previously in the club has obviously been destroyed. It’s also not the case that trust can be rebuilt over one or two conversations.”
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