The corona virus, which is also so dangerous for high-performance athletes, is forcing Bayern professional Joshua Kimmich to take an even longer break in football. Actually, the safe 3-0 (2-0) of the preliminary round champions in Europe’s premier class against FC Barcelona, who had shrunk to a Munich sparring partner, should be the last game that Germany’s most famous vaccination defender missed.
But on Thursday this news startled the Bayern fans and the general public in the middle of the roaring fourth corona wave: Kimmich announced in a club announcement that he was no longer for the this year “due to slight infiltration in the lungs” League leaders could play in the Bundesliga. Sports director Hasan Salihamidzic had announced the good news of the end of Kimmich’s quarantine the evening before in the spectator-free Allianz Arena.
Kimmich’s quarantine ends – but he still can’t play
Salihamidzic referred to medical examinations, but after a month’s break from competition for 26-year-old Kimmich, he was quite optimistic. “I know our Jo, of course he will give everything to come back quickly.” That doesn’t work at first – despite the free testing. Infiltrations of the lungs are accumulations of fluids and cellular components in the vital organ.
Kimmich tried to reassure his fans: “I’m happy that my corona-related quarantine has ended. I’m doing very well.” But he could “not train fully at the moment.” The body slows it down after the corona infection – and probably also the doctors. He will complete advanced training and can “hardly wait to be fully back in January,” said Kimmich.
The earliest possible date for his comeback is now the start of the second half of the season against Borussia Mönchengladbach on January 7th. Kimmich missed the games this Saturday against Mainz as well as in Stuttgart and Wolfsburg in the end of the year. It’s the six to eight competitive games since his last appearance in a 2-1 win against SC Freiburg on November 6th. After that, Kimmich first had to be in quarantine as an unvaccinated contact person for teammate Niklas Süle.
He then infected himself with the virus – and that prevents him from doing his beloved job for another few weeks. Corona does not let go of Bavaria. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting – presumably also unvaccinated – cannot train again after an infection. At the end of the preliminary round in the Champions League, Thomas Müller was happy to receive a personal goal two weeks before Christmas Eve in addition to the flawless six-win record of his FC Bayern on Wednesday evening in the deserted Munich ghost game arena in the snowflake vortex.
“It’s cool. 50 goals are a mark,” said the 32-year-old. As the first German player, Müller was able to cheer so often in the premier class. The international scored eight of the 50 goals against Barcelona. Müller is a bogeyman for the Catalans, who failed in the group stage for the first time in 21 years. “Somehow it slips against Barça,” remarked Müller with a smile.
The jubilee goal, a crazy headed arc lamp from the typically Müller brand, filled him with pride. “If you read the names of the players who still have 50 goals, that’s an illustrious circle,” said Müller, referring to Cristiano Ronaldo (140 goals), Lionel Messi (125), Bayern colleague Robert Lewandowski (82) and former striker legends such as the Spaniard Raúl (71), the Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy (56) or the French Thierry Henry, with whom he now shares seventh place.
“There are already a few noble footballers in there,” enthused Müller. 18 points, 22: 3 hits – Bayern achieved the best score in the group stage, ahead of the Liverpool and Ajax Amsterdam teams, which were also six times victorious. Bayern also masked the weak Bundesliga appearance with the preliminary rounds of Dortmund, Leipzig and Wolfsburg. Nagelsmann appealed for indulgence and joint efforts: “Don’t hack it, but tackle everyone together.”
In his first year in Bavaria, the young coach is following in the footsteps of his highly decorated predecessor, Hansi Flick. Today’s national coach started two years ago after a record group stage with six wins and 24: 5 goals until he won the title. Nagelsmann did not stack deep after a “totally sovereign” group stage. “It is our aim to be one of the favorites. We want to win the Champions League. I absolutely trust the team to do that.”
On Monday (12 noon), however, the first round of the last sixteen will be drawn at the UEFA headquarters in Switzerland. In the runners-up pot, there are stumbling blocks such as defending champions Chelsea FC or the star ensemble of Paris Saint-Germain pimped up with Lionel Messi.
Nagelsmann, however, did not allow himself to be lured into the question of whether he would rather avoid these top clubs: “If I were to name any opponent, it would be psychologically the most unclear thing you can do the players: ‘The coach shits his pants in front of the opponent!’ “It is still clear: Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, Sporting Lisbon, RB Salzburg or the seventh option, either Atalanta Bergamo or FC Villarreal, would certainly be Bayern’s much better.
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