Klopp's baseless accusations let Kimmich keep playing undeterred
In the warm light of the Thessaloniki stadium stands national team coach Jürgen Klopp, while the media discuss Joshua Kimmich. After mixed performances against the Netherlands (1:1) and Greece (0:1), Kimmich quickly came under criticism, and emphasized his central role in the team.
Kimmich's Performances and Growing Criticism
Joshua Kimmich showed only mixed performances for the DFB team after the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands and the 0-1 loss against Greece. The media quickly criticized him and questioned his importance for the team. The scene is illustrated by Alexander Hassenstein.
At the same time, the midfield trio of Aleksandar Pavlovic, Tom Bischof and Florian Wirtz convinced in the 2-0 victory over Serbia. The critics then asked whether Kimmich is still needed in the German midfield at all. This debate grew louder.
Klopp Defends Kimmich and Talks About Competition
Jürgen Klopp did not engage in the discussion and stated before the upcoming match in Thessaloniki that Kimmich remains one of the pillars of the team. “You can see that it is extremely difficult, not because I want to keep a story small or make it big or anything, but because you simply want to create a story,” he criticized the media. He emphasized that competition in midfield will increase the team's quality in the long term.
Matthäus demands clear support from Klopp for Kimmich
The coach also stressed the importance of the competition: “Now imagine we had exactly three midfielders in Germany. Exactly three. Why should only one player always play? You also have to be in good form to play.” With this, he wanted to increase the team's quality in the long term.
Klopp added that load management and adapting to the opponent are also central topics. He warned against sticking to a fixed eleven or a fixed midfield trio, as this would not help the team. He emphasized that load management is tailored individually to each player.
Former world champion Pierre Littbarski supported Kimmich's qualities in an interview and highlighted his excellent chipped passes, which no other player at the DFB delivers so perfectly. The former world champion, who won the title in 1989, especially praised Kimmich's technique.
To conclude, Klopp laughed and said: “I have no chance to answer the question in a way that you don't manage to make it your thing anyway. So, I give up. Officially, already now. On this topic I give up. Do whatever you want.” With this he signaled that he does not want to further fuel the media debate.