Time to catch one’s breath? Not a chance. Joshua Kimmich and his RB Leipzig team play again in midweek. The team who head the chasing pack in the 2. Bundesliga face local and divisional rivals FC Erzgebirge Aue in the DFB Cup on Wednesday (19:00 CET).
Kimmich’s involvement in the clash is doubtful due to injury; the 19-year-old has been a regular in the side so far this season but may have to sit the cup tie. The player, who has been capped at various youth levels is one of the biggest talents in German football. DFB.de spoke to the defensive midfielder about the match against Aue, his performances for RB and his dreams.
DFB.de: Mr Kimmich, are you looking forward to the second-round match against Aue?
Joshua Kimmich: I’m excited. It will be a great evening – a local derby in a cup tie under floodlights. What more could you ask for? It’s an important match, especially for the fans. We’re not playing well at the moment but are determined to qualify for the next round.
DFB.de: Do you go into the game as favourites?
Kimmich: I’m not sure. Strange things happen in cup competitions. We are fully prepared for the match. I feel confident that we will achieve our goal; our journey hopefully won’t end in the second-round.
DFB.de: The omens are looking good for your side. You beat Aue 1-0 on matchday three.
Kimmich: That’s true, but a lot has changed since then. Aue have changed their manager and are starting to creep up the table. They are a better team than their current league position implies. We’ll only progress if we play to the best of our abilities.
DFB.de: You’ve been at the club for over a year now. How has it been?
Kimmich: I’ve loved every second of my time so far. I have no regrets.
DFB.de: Really? You chose to leave the VfB Stuttgart youth set-up when you were only 18.
Kimmich: Obviously it was difficult to start with. I had to leave my family and friends and start again in a new city. But the people in charge at RB showed faith in me and made me feel at home.
DFB.de: You were carrying an injury when you arrived and could only watch for a while…
Kimmich: … and that was my biggest problem. I was living in a hotel and spending a lot of time on the treatment table instead of with my team mates. Consequently, it took me a while to feel at home here. The staff allowed me all the time I needed to regain fitness again, which was great to hear.
DFB.de: How do you cope with pressure? After all, many people say you are one of the best talents in German football.
Kimmich: I don’t feel the pressure, but it’s something I am aware of. No one at the club mentions that to me, it’s only the media. I’m the sort of person who doesn’t feel pressure. It doesn’t help anyone. I just focus on playing to the best of my ability.
DFB.de: You recently won the U19 European Championship with Germany. Would you consider that to be your biggest achievement in football?
Kimmich: It was a great moment for all of us. It’s an honour to play in a European Championship, even if it is “only” the U19 edition. It was wonderful. We had a great team spirit and fully deserved to win the tournament.
DFB.de: You’ve played for Germany at U17, U18 and U19 level and recently made your debut for the U21 side. Were you surprised by this?
Kimmich: Definitely. I expected to progress to the U20 side and hopefully get selected to play in the U20 World Cup in New Zealand next year. But things seem to have changed, which is exciting. We shall see what happens.
DFB.de: Do you dream about appearing for the senior team?
Kimmich: Every footballer dreams of representing his national team. But you shouldn’t run before you can walk – I will take it step by step. My current goal is to beat Erzgebirge Aue and qualify for the next round of the DFB Cup.
created by mmc/mb
Time to catch one’s breath? Not a chance. Joshua Kimmich and his RB Leipzig team play again in midweek. The team who head the chasing pack in the 2. Bundesliga face local and divisional rivals FC Erzgebirge Aue in the DFB Cup on Wednesday (19:00 CET).
Kimmich’s involvement in the clash is doubtful due to injury; the 19-year-old has been a regular in the side so far this season but may have to sit the cup tie. The player, who has been capped at various youth levels is one of the biggest talents in German football. DFB.de spoke to the defensive midfielder about the match against Aue, his performances for RB and his dreams.
DFB.de: Mr Kimmich, are you looking forward to the second-round match against Aue?
Joshua Kimmich: I’m excited. It will be a great evening – a local derby in a cup tie under floodlights. What more could you ask for? It’s an important match, especially for the fans. We’re not playing well at the moment but are determined to qualify for the next round.
DFB.de: Do you go into the game as favourites?
Kimmich: I’m not sure. Strange things happen in cup competitions. We are fully prepared for the match. I feel confident that we will achieve our goal; our journey hopefully won’t end in the second-round.
DFB.de: The omens are looking good for your side. You beat Aue 1-0 on matchday three.
Kimmich: That’s true, but a lot has changed since then. Aue have changed their manager and are starting to creep up the table. They are a better team than their current league position implies. We’ll only progress if we play to the best of our abilities.
DFB.de: You’ve been at the club for over a year now. How has it been?
Kimmich: I’ve loved every second of my time so far. I have no regrets.
DFB.de: Really? You chose to leave the VfB Stuttgart youth set-up when you were only 18.
Kimmich: Obviously it was difficult to start with. I had to leave my family and friends and start again in a new city. But the people in charge at RB showed faith in me and made me feel at home.
DFB.de: You were carrying an injury when you arrived and could only watch for a while…
Kimmich: … and that was my biggest problem. I was living in a hotel and spending a lot of time on the treatment table instead of with my team mates. Consequently, it took me a while to feel at home here. The staff allowed me all the time I needed to regain fitness again, which was great to hear.
DFB.de: How do you cope with pressure? After all, many people say you are one of the best talents in German football.
Kimmich: I don’t feel the pressure, but it’s something I am aware of. No one at the club mentions that to me, it’s only the media. I’m the sort of person who doesn’t feel pressure. It doesn’t help anyone. I just focus on playing to the best of my ability.
DFB.de: You recently won the U19 European Championship with Germany. Would you consider that to be your biggest achievement in football?
Kimmich: It was a great moment for all of us. It’s an honour to play in a European Championship, even if it is “only” the U19 edition. It was wonderful. We had a great team spirit and fully deserved to win the tournament.
DFB.de: You’ve played for Germany at U17, U18 and U19 level and recently made your debut for the U21 side. Were you surprised by this?
Kimmich: Definitely. I expected to progress to the U20 side and hopefully get selected to play in the U20 World Cup in New Zealand next year. But things seem to have changed, which is exciting. We shall see what happens.
DFB.de: Do you dream about appearing for the senior team?
Kimmich: Every footballer dreams of representing his national team. But you shouldn’t run before you can walk – I will take it step by step. My current goal is to beat Erzgebirge Aue and qualify for the next round of the DFB Cup.
