Former Bayern Munich midfielder, Xabi Alonso said that utility player, Joshua Kimmich has reached a different level at the Bundesliga club.
Alonso, who joined the club from Real Madrid and spent three years lauded the German for his contribution to the team. Kimmich was part of the players that helped the Bavarian to another treble in 2019/20. This made the Spaniard say he could “play for any team in the world”.
Alonso during his stint with the Bavarians played alongside Kimmich for two seasons out of three before retiring in summer 2017. The 37-year-old former Spain international is now the coach of La Liga side Real Sociedad. He also retains strong ties to the Bavarian capital, where he won three Bundesliga titles and the DFB Cup.
“I’ve still got a lot of friends there. When the [Champions League finals] tournament started we could all see the incredible run the team were on and we thought ‘they can win it,” Alonso told German broadsheet Süddeutsche Zeitung in an interview.
Joshua Kimmich now plays with characteristic bite
In displaying his utility characteristic, Kimmich came to the team’s rescue and ultimately fulfilled that objective. He did this by switching from his preferred position in central midfield to fill in for the injured Benjamin Pavard at right-back.
While showing his mettle as an integral part of the team, he was among the goalscorers in the 8-2 quarter-final thrashing of Barcelona where he also provided an assist. Such a feat, to Alonso shows Bayern’s superiority.
“I don’t just mean the margin of victory, but Bayern’s superiority, their dominance. And to do it in such an important match, too.”
Although he didn’t score further, he registered another two assists in the 3-0 victory over Lyon in the semifinals. He repeated the same when and teed up Kingsley Coman to score the decisive win over Paris Saint-Germain in the final. Such contributions left Alonso, like countless others around the world, seriously impressed by the Germany international’s displays.
“He’s learned incredibly quickly. He’s found his role in the team and has matured. He’s now at a level where he could play for any team in the world.”
