Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich has taken a somewhat differing position from what many top footballers recently expressed about the increasing number of fixtures they have to play in. The midfielder spoke to German outfit Deutsche Welle, acknowledging how unpopular his opinion might be. He said, “Maybe I’m making myself a bit unpopular, but I like to play a lot of games. In football, there will always be injuries.”
The German, who also plays at right back, is one of the most dependable players for both Bayern and the German national team, having gathered over a decade of experience in top-flight football. The 29-year-old who joined Bayern from RB Leipzig in 2015 has 268 appearances for the club and is showing no sign of slowing down. With the expanded Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup formats, the fixtures schedule for players like Kimmich has become increasingly intense, with many top players voicing out concerns.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola expressed concerns last season, saying players might need to seek a solution. He said, “There is only one solution to change something: maybe if all the players decide for themselves to say, ‘Stop,’ you have to change something. Then FIFA and UEFA will maybe react a little bit.”
Echoing his manager’s perspective, Man City and Spain midfielder Rodri hinted at a possible players’ strike earlier this season, a view that has been shared by others like Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, however, suggested that clubs might need to ease the players’ workload by granting them mid-season breaks.
Kimmich’s opinion has revealed that there is no unity of sentiments among players, making a joint industrial action almost impossible. Besides, players who play clubs without the congestion of European competitions may not share the concern that players in more competitive top teams share. Therefore, they may be unsympathetic to the concerns about congested playing schedules.
