Plain talk about the cup exit

“Sobering”: Kimmich contradicts the bosses

(Bild: SID/AFP)

Things are not going well at FC Bayern. After the bitter exit from the DFB Cup, Bayern star Joshua Kimmich and bosses Max Eberl and Christian Freund do not necessarily agree when it comes to victories against "big teams".

Three draws, three defeats, just one win in top games - that's the record of the German record champions. On Tuesday (yesterday), they were beaten 1:0 by Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB Cup - for a long time with ten players.

"It's sobering, of course"
Kimmich spoke plainly after the game. Can Bayern fail to impress against big teams? "That's absolutely true in the season so far. What have been the big games so far? Leverkusen twice, we couldn't win either of them and we were actually lucky to get Leverkusen at home. At the end of the day, we won't get any further there. We didn't win Dortmund, we didn't win Frankfurt, we didn't win Barcelona. If you look purely at the results, then of course it's sobering."

Sporting director Christoph Freund takes a more positive view: "You can see it that way from the results, yes. But the way we are performing and playing, I am really positive and convinced that we will also win big games because we are on a really good path and exude a really good energy."

And CEO Max Eberl put the cup exit down to Manuel Neuer's early red card. "We are one man down. I hope that has sunk in for everyone. Even if you couldn't see it on the pitch, we played with one man less."

For Kimmich, however, that was not the "sticking point" and the sending off was no excuse. "I don't think we could have been much better or more dominant with eleven men," said the 29-year-old, who took over the captain's armband after Neuer's exclusion.

Coach Vincent Kompany (right) and Joshua Kimmich.

(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Kimmich analyzes: "I'll be honest: Before the game, I thought a little bit, especially when I saw the second half against Paris and the first half in Dortmund, that we might just be at a point where we're letting up a bit, where we're no longer doing 100 percent of what we did at the start of the season."

He continued: "When I look at the game today, I have to say: that was one of our best performances - also measured against our opponents, of course. I hope that spurs us on. Of course, I'm extremely annoyed that the title is gone. That's what we all play soccer for - to win. And it's all about winning."

Will these contradictory statements cause internal unrest? In the league, Bayern await 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday - perhaps coach Vincent Kompany's squad will be able to get the frustration off their chest.