Germany has endured a torrid last 12 months in international football. Despite having a strong squad including several Bayern Munich players, they have struggled to deliver good results and performances. Hansi Flick was eventually sacked in October and Julian Nagelsmann was appointed as the new head coach.
The change of coach has not yielded immediate results as Germany has been poor in the last two international breaks. Since next summer's euros will take place on home soil, Germany needs to do better under Julian Nagelsmann.
Along with criticism of coaches, several players are also under severe scrutiny due to recent performances. Germany has found it difficult to bounce back from tough situations in the game, which has led to questions marks over the leadership group in the squad.
Earlier this week, DFB vice-president, Ralf-Uwe Schaffert, made scathing remarks over Joshua Kimmich and Ilkay Gundogan for their poor performances with the national team. Schaffert insisted that Kimmich has failed to show leadership at club and country level. While talking to Bild, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen came up with a staunch defense of Kimmich.
""I'm more than irritated by these statements. It's incomprehensible that the vice president of the DFB criticizes the club performances of a deserving and important national team player like Joshua Kimmich. In doing so, he is doing the national team a disservice. There are enough topics at the DFB that Mr. Schaffert could have taken care of before making such statements publicly"Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen
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It has been a year to forget for Kimmich with Bayern and Germany. His performances for country have been poor. The change in coaches in both teams have not helped Kimmich’s cause. However, there is no shortage of passion and commitment from the German midfielder, which makes the comments from DFB vice-president very bizarre.
Kimmich could be on the crossroads of his career in the summer. It does look certain that Die Roten and Thomas Tuchel will look to sign a defensive midfielder sooner rather than later. The Bavarian club had a deal lined up for Joao Palhinha in the summer only for it to collapse at the last minute.
Joshua Kimmich has consistently insisted that he considers himself as a number six. With the arrival of a new holding midfielder, Kimmich may have to play in the box-to-box midfield position. Moreover, one report in Germany has suggested that Bayern no longer consider selling Kimmich an unrealistic option. His current deal is set to expire in 2025.
The German midfielder has been a consistent performer for Bayern ever since arriving from RB Leipzig in the final season of Pep Guardiola. He is currently going through a difficult spell. The Bavarian faithful and German fans will hope that 2024 will be much better for Kimmich that will eventually help both teams to win silverware.