Germany captain Joshua Kimmich is a leader for club as well as country. That means once the international competitions come around on the calendar, some of his fiercest rivals in the Bundesliga and beyond become his comrades.
So how does he balance the responsibilities of focusing on his Bayern Munich role for most of the season, while still building and maintaining those tight personal bonds necessary for the national team to gel?
“The exchange is there. I also try to keep in touch with my teammates because ultimately, we’re always a team, even if we don’t see each other,” Kimmich explained in comments for Welt AM Sonntag (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “It’s important to me that we stay in touch. Sometimes just a message is enough, even if some might ask, ‘what does he want from me now?’
“We may be rivals when we’re at our clubs, but we need a strong sense of togetherness. Because that can be a real advantage for a team when it comes down to it.”