Joshua Kimmich

Written by Nicolas Horn and Christian Spiller for Die Zeit:

It’s been a tough season for Joshua Kimmich, downgraded from central midfielder to right-back for club and country. Thomas Tuchel publicly called for Bayern to sign a new defensive midfielder; Kimmich pointed out in vain that he was one. Some fans in Germany used to see him as a Ballon d’Or contender, but his reputation has fallen dramatically. Kimmich still naturally belongs in this Germany team, now as a full-back, although you sometimes get the impression that the sideline puts him under more pressure than opponents in midfield. There are so many similarities with Philipp Lahm, including the fact that Kimmich trained on the same pitch of small club FT Gem that the world champion did. You can often hear Kimmich’s voice on the pitch. These Euros are important for Kimmich, who has been part of early exits at Germany’s last three tournaments and blames himself for it. After the World Cup exit in Qatar, he said: “I'm a bit scared of falling into a hole.” Perhaps a post-playing career as an actor awaits; Kimmich made a cameo in long-running German TV series Tatort last year.