Jürgen Klopp’s handling of Germany captain Joshua Kimmich has come under increasing scrutiny following the conclusion of his first international window as Bundestrainer.
The controversy began not with Kimmich being dropped, but with Klopp deliberately sending his captain home halfway through Germany’s unusually large October camp. Kimmich had featured in the opening Nations League fixtures against the Netherlands and Greece before departing as planned. The Bayern Munich midfielder nevertheless made no secret of the fact that he wanted to remain.
Klopp subsequently revealed that Kimmich had asked him several times whether he could stay.
“He actually asked a couple of times,” Klopp told BR24. “But I can tell Jo this: the more often you ask, the less likely you are to get what you want. We wanted to make this cut, and I also want to see these lads when the top dogs aren’t there. I need to see that too. Injuries can happen in the future, other things can happen.”
“He made a great impression, he is a great captain,” Klopp continued. “Everything was good. [The decision] wasn’t against anyone. We just have to be prepared for all eventualities, and we want to give everyone the opportunity they deserve. That’s why the Kimmich family is now on a family vacation. Honestly, I hope he takes advantage of it.”
The problem is that the debate did not end there.
Klopp’s attempts to kill Kimmich debate have only prolonged it
Germany subsequently produced their most convincing performance of Klopp’s opening three matches without Kimmich. Aleksandar Pavlovic, Tom Bischof and Florian Wirtz combined impressively during the 2-0 win over Serbia, immediately prompting questions about whether the new-look midfield might ultimately prove better suited to Klopp’s football. Klopp pushed back forcefully against that interpretation after the Serbia victory.
“Yeah, and then we get ourselves a Jo Kimmich story,” Klopp remarked when questioned about the captain’s absence. “That’s what you guys are up to.”
Klopp emphasized that his objective was to create a Germany team capable of functioning with different personnel rather than becoming dependent upon any one midfielder. The subject nevertheless returned one day later. Asked again about Kimmich in Thessaloniki, Klopp eventually joked that he was “officially” giving up on trying to control the discussion.
“I just don’t stand a chance with that question without you guys making something out of it,” Klopp said. “I give up. Seriously. Officially. With respect to that topic, I give up. Do what you want with it. I’m happy with the game and I’m happy that Joshua Kimmich is a leading player for Germany.”
Those attempts to dismiss the controversy have now themselves become part of it.
Kicker commentary calls for Klopp to back Kimmich
Kicker chief reporter Oliver Hartmann argued over the weekend that the manner in which the situation has been communicated has created something resembling a “gradual dismantling” of the Germany captain. Hartmann accepted that Klopp was perfectly entitled to omit Kimmich from the second half of the camp and examine other midfielders. His criticism instead centered on the public messaging.
According to Hartmann, Klopp’s comments about wanting to examine the team without its established “top dogs,” coupled with the quip about Kimmich repeatedly asking to remain, helped transform a planned squad rotation into a much larger debate about whether the 116-cap international still fits into Germany’s future. Hartmann argued that Klopp should now strengthen his captain publicly and privately.
Former Germany captain Oliver Kahn has now offered similar criticism.
Kahn argues Klopp comments risk discrediting Kimmich
Speaking to Sky/RTL, Kahn took issue specifically with Klopp’s explanation that he wanted to assess Germany without one of its leading personalities. Kahn interpreted the remark as suggesting that Klopp wanted to determine whether Kimmich’s influence might actually restrict the team.
“I personally don’t find that statement particularly positive from Joshua Kimmich’s perspective,” Kahn said. “Because what does that say? He wants to see whether a certain personality might possibly inhibit a team. You shouldn’t say something like that publicly because in a certain way you discredit the player.”
The criticism does not necessarily invalidate the sporting question Klopp wanted answered. Germany needed to discover how alternative midfield combinations functioned, particularly given the possibility of injuries and absences. Pavlovic and Bischof then took their opportunity impressively.
There are also genuine tactical questions surrounding Kimmich’s role.
Against the Netherlands, Kimmich was repeatedly left responsible for an enormous amount of space as the lone holding midfielder once Germany’s first pressing line was bypassed. Against Greece, his own errors contributed to an unquestionably poor individual performance, yet Germany’s attack actually improved for a period after Klopp instructed his captain to operate higher rather than continually dropping toward the centre-backs.
Whether Kimmich represents the ideal midfielder for every version of Klopp’s Germany therefore remains a perfectly reasonable footballing question.
Whether the Bundestrainer has handled the public discussion surrounding his captain as carefully as he might have is becoming another question altogether.
