The position of right-back has been a pain point for the German national team for years and Bayern Munich legend Uli Hoeneß thinks that his guy, Joshua Kimmich, is not the answer for the 2026 World Cup.
“Joshua has had an outstanding season in Bayern’s midfield. I would absolutely not burn him out there, because as a right-back he can’t contribute as much to the game and can’t be the same kind of leader he is at Bayern. And the national team needs leaders. Kimmich and (Aleksandar) Pavlović would be my
midfield, the same way they’ve been playing at Bayern,” Hoeneß told Der Spiegel (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
The problem for Nagelsmann is that he really did not take another player on the roster who specializes at the position. Essentially, Kimmich could be stuck in the position because Nagelsmann did not include one true right-back on the roster.
The closest facsimile is Malick Thiaw, who has played three games at right-back…in his career, including zero this season. The other option might be Nathaniel Brown, a natural left-back, who has played two out of 140 career games at right-back.
What if…Kimmich gets hurt?
Nagelsmann, who has been under some criticism for his roster, likely has a misstep at right-back.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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