She is captain of the FC Bayern women's team, national player and brand ambassador for B42. He is one of the leading players at FC Bayern, a constant in the German national team and one of the best midfielders in the world.
Lina Magull meets Joshua Kimmich — and talks to him about soccer under corona conditions, individual training management off the pitch and the importance of women's soccer in Germany.
Lina: Dear Joshua, on May 17, 2020, you had the first ghost game against Union Berlin. Have you gotten used to it a bit in the meantime or is it still totally surreal to walk into a deserted stadium?
Joshua: You get used to it a bit, but it's clear that the fans simply belong. In the beginning, I saw it as a challenge — back to the past, like in my youth, where you kick on the sports field without fans. And I thought it was good that the game has become a bit more honest. But in the end, we love sport with all our emotions. They are clearly missing.
Lina: What do you mean by “more honest”?
Joshua: The time game that you're stuck on the pitch, everything became less. The focus was more on the game itself. What experience did you have?
Lina: Of course, the contrast is not as strong as yours. When I watch your games, I sometimes ask how you communicate with each other in a crowded stadium. It's quieter here too, of course. You hear the trainer's instructions better and hear the encouragement from your fellow players much more strongly. That is also the positive side for me:
The team spirit is even more positive. You can feel that on the pitch when the injured or the substitutes push you. But of course the atmosphere is missing in the end. And what also saddens me is that family and friends are not allowed into the stadium. That's already dragging me down.
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Joshua: Yes, communication is easier, of course. That helped us both in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League. We have a really good team structure and push each other. And it makes a difference if you go into pressing together at the front and can coordinate commands more easily. This is of course more difficult with higher volume.
Lina: Good point, I also have the impression that the quality has improved because communication is easier. This is also mentioned again and again in team analyses: That we need to help ourselves more on the pitch. Do you think that the situation also has an impact on the performance of some players — in a positive way because they no longer feel the pressure of the ranks or in the negative because they lack the push of the spectators?
Joshua: Definitely There are players who are more likely to have difficulty dealing with when every bad pass is commented on from outside or you are booed. Others, on the other hand, are more concentrated and focused when viewers are there. I've noticed for myself that the tension in a full stadium is different. It makes a difference whether you make a bad pass before empty or full ranks. But there is also a lack of positive emotions from outside, with which you can surpass yourself a bit.
Lina: In an interview, you spoke very honestly about what the pressure of a tight game schedule is doing to you as a result of the corona situation. When you have to call up top levels every three days. That there are also days when you say: “I'm actually not in the mood today.” I notice that with myself too. You have to find ways to relax and take a break. How do you deal with this in practice and what mechanisms do you have as a team to get down?
Joshua: Of course, it is mentally exhausting to push yourself to the top level every three days. But in Hansi Flick, we have a trainer who also gives us a day or two off to get down a bit from our heads. And we have very good momentum within the team. When I'm on the pitch, everyone's focus and common goal can be felt right from the start.
Lina: The load is currently particularly high due to the tight game schedule. How do you manage this individually in addition to team training — in order to regenerate better and always be able to give 100 percent on the pitch?
Joshua: I'm not a fan of pure regeneration in addition to games, but rather do strength training. I have the feeling that my body regenerates faster and doesn't fall into a hole. I often trust my feelings and listen to my body. How is that with you?
Lina: Similarly. I prefer to work individually in the strength sector — with weights or functionally. I've been doing this for years and have only had good experiences with it. On days off, I tend to go running and enjoy the fresh air. How do you generally work individually on your fitness? Do you have a personal trainer or team around you?
Joshua: Yes, I work privately with Tim Lobinger, whom I met in Leipzig. Our paths crossed again later in Munich. I've noticed that even with a tight game plan, you can work on certain areas sensibly.
Lina: Do you have individual load management?
Joshua: During training, the values are analyzed by our athletic trainer, who can see them directly on his iPad and then decides, for example, whether we repeat the exercise or session again. This involves simulating the intensity of a game during training, for example. But now during the English weeks, that doesn't matter much. It's almost exclusively about regeneration between games. How do you do that specifically with yourself? How do you control that?
Lina: Our athletic trainer at Bayern is already paying attention to how load management works. There is a query every day that uses six different questions to tell you how you're doing. This also includes the menstrual cycle, which is often underestimated in terms of performance. Basically, he always adapts the load and is very focused on regeneration, especially during this time. He gives us options for individual regeneration and we have a certain amount of freedom when it comes to implementing them. What else I wanted to ask you: How do you have to imagine the training of young Joshua Kimmich in the youth or amateur sector? Did you also shift individual extra shifts there?
Joshua: Yes, I've always tried to do more and train in addition to team training. That certainly did not always make sense because, of course, it was often not guided and therefore coordinated. Sometimes I should have given my body more rest. I particularly remember my time at VfB Stuttgart in my youth. That's when I got feedback from the trainers that I was too small and too slender for a professional career. I regularly go to the weight room to work on myself.
Lina: I had support when I was young because I was at boarding school. But I am sure that it would have been good for my development to take even more initiative through a clear plan. That is why I also believe that digital solutions in particular can be of great help here. Would an app for supplementary individual training have helped you back then? And do you think that this will make it possible to provide amateurs with the expertise of professionals?
Joshua: Definitely physically and athletically — especially when it comes to dynamism and speed. In the past, I would have been able to work better there in some areas; there was certainly potential there. The decisive factor, however, is that you are in the mood for soccer and that the motivation comes from yourself.
Lina: Joshua, of course I also want to talk to you about women's soccer today. How do you perceive the importance of women's soccer? Are you following the Bayern women's team, for example?
Joshua: Unfortunately, there is a completely different perception of women's and men's soccer in soccer. Other sports continue, such as tennis or skiing. As far as FC Bayern is concerned, for example, I think it's a shame that the women train on campus and we train on Säbener Straße. If everyone were in one place, we would be able to live together and strive for the club even more strongly.
Lina: I see it that way too. It would really be ideal if we were all in one place. That would be a huge added value to have a better exchange with men. I have noticed how valuable the exchange with Bayern amateurs is since they have been training with us on campus. I see a totally appreciative exchange with added value for everyone. I think that networking with professionals could also be much better off the pitch — for example through joint events, autograph sessions, when this is possible again after Corona?
Joshua: Of course I think that events in particular have great power and that there is still a lot of potential here. In the past, for example, the men's and women's DFB-Pokal finals took place on one day in Berlin. Perhaps, especially at major tournaments, you would have the opportunity to combine this and thus create greater attention but also community.
Lina: And if FC Bayern made the plan to organise joint autograph sessions with the women or find other ways to transfer men's attention to women, would you be open to that?.
Joshua: For me, that would only be logical. For example, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane recently went on a joint shoot with players from FC Bayern. Especially when you have two top-level teams, that's a good chance to do something together and make progress. And I think that is also possible in conjunction with other sports.
Lina: I think we could learn from each other. What I notice positively about men, for example, is that they are better able to turn off their heads on the pitch and deal with this enormous pressure. I also find the way in which the sometimes severe criticism from outside has been dealt with admirable. You have to be a strong person for that. Is there anything that impresses you about women?
Joshua: For women, the focus is more on the game as such. With men, you already have one or the other player who is his own brand and then tries to present it on the pitch, for example when cheering for goals. There is more staging. For women, there is less show, less swallows, less exaggeration. And it feels like they're getting tougher.
Lina: Dear Joshua, I really enjoyed talking to you. Thank you so much for your time.
Joshua: I can only give that back. Thank you!
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