Why isn't Kimmich playing, Mr. Nagelsmann?
The German national team plays against Austria in Vienna. And surprisingly without Joshua Kimmich. In midfield, national coach Julian Nagelsmann has opted for a different pairing. He explained his decision to leave out the Bayern leader with "variability". Nevertheless, the decision is a novelty.
Julian Nagelsmann has justified his decision not to include Joshua Kimmich in the starting eleven for the international match against Austria in Vienna with his long-term plan for the home European Championship. "We want to test variability. Also with a view to the tournament," the national coach told ZDF ahead of the match at the Ernst Happel Stadium. "We can't always play with the same pairs," Nagelsmann continued with a view to the tournament from June 14 to July 14 and emphasized: "A tournament is played with 14, 15 players. Not with ten, not with 18. That's where we are at the moment."
Instead of Kimmich, his Munich colleague Leon Goretzka played alongside captain Ilkay Gündogan in defensive midfield. The duo had last started together in the group "final" at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar against Costa Rica (4:2). The decision against Kimmich is a first in the relationship between Nagelsmann and the 28-year-old. When the national coach was still coaching FC Bayern, he never once left his model pupil on the bench. In the 73 competitive matches in which he was available, Kimmich always started and was substituted nine times - like on Saturday in Berlin against Turkey (2:3).
In his 81st international match, his first under Nagelsmann, he was replaced by Goretzka in the 71st minute - as now in Vienna. Lothar Matthäus echoed the general expert opinion on RTL that Gündogan and Kimmich "simply don't go together". Kimmich was absent from Nagelsmann's debut as national coach on the trip to the USA, which included the international matches against the hosts (3:1) and Mexico (2:2), due to illness. Gündogan largely harmonized well with Pascal Groß, with whom he started both times.
Despite Joshua Kimmich's absence from the German national team's midfield for the game against Austria, DFB coach Julian Nagelsmann emphasized the importance of testing variability for the upcoming European Championship. This decision comes after Nagelsmann opted for a different midfield pairing, with Leon Goretzka joining captain Ilkyan Gündogan.
Source: www.ntv.de
