Joshua Kimmich is getting opportunities to rest this year before the fixture list gets too heavy. But if you thought head coach Vincent Kompany was simply managing the veteran midfielder’s minutes, think
again. At least, that’s not how the decision-making has been treated internally, as Kimmich himself revealed after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
“I’m someone who likes being on the pitch every three days,” Kimmich explained in comments captured by Sky Germany journalist Kerry Hau, via @iMiaSanMia. But still: “It’s special to be part of this team.
“The coach also told us: It’s not rotation, it’s competition. A very healthy competition, I think. The players sitting on the bench don’t hope that their competitors play badly. Instead, they simply try to play a bit better themselves when they get a chance. It’s all for the good of the team — and it’s really fun.”
Kimmich started at Frankfurt and in the midweek at Pafos but before that had two straight Bundesliga games on the bench, against Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen. The 30-year-old is still the glue that ties together the Bayern midfield, but between Aleksandar Pavlović and Tom Bischof, the Bavarians are getting some younger options seasoned in the engine room.
