The verdict on Bayern’s season is mixed: positive thanks to their commanding victory in the German championship, negative in the cup competitions. Joshua Kimmich agrees in his FCB assessment.
“I hope he has to do another photo shoot,” said Joshua Kimmich, referring to the picture Thomas Müller received as a farewell gift from FC Bayern. It shows all the trophies Müller has won in his magnificent career. What Kimmich means by this is that one more could follow with the Club World Cup in the USA, which will celebrate its premiere in this format in mid-June. And that is precisely what FC Bayern has set itself as its goal.
When asked what grade he would give Bayern’s season, the 30-year-old therefore replied reflexively: “It’s not over yet.” Kimmich and Bayern have this new tournament firmly in mind, even though it is still unclear which squad Bayern will travel with and how motivated the other big clubs will be. The future is bright, but how does Kimmich rate what has been achieved so far in 2024/25?
“The championship was very confident. We had two or three games where we conceded unnecessary goals at the back,” he said, referring to the 3-3 draw in Frankfurt in the first half of the season and the 3-3 draw in Leipzig a week ago. Nevertheless, he said the team deserved a “very good” rating for winning the title. Looking at the facts, it’s hard to disagree: FCB has been at the top of the table since matchday three.
Champions League spoils the report card
However, the league alone does not count in Munich, which is why the report card includes the following assessment: “Regardless of our elimination, our performance in the Champions League was not good because we were not consistent enough. We also lost too many games in the league phase and definitely need to improve there,” said Kimmich, looking back on a total of four away defeats, the shaky progress against Celtic Glasgow, and the unfortunate elimination against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals.
The national cup can certainly be assessed differently, and Kimmich does just that: “In the DFB Cup against Leverkusen, it was rather unfortunate because we were down to ten men after twelve minutes,” he recalls of the 0-1 defeat, in which Manuel Neuer was sent off early and Harry Kane was missing through injury. Bayern’s dominance with ten men was of no use; only the result counted.
Kimmich’s conclusion: “I’d give us a solid three. Especially when you consider where we’ve come from.” He was referring to the previous season under Thomas Tuchel, which ended without a title. But one thing is clear: the championship can only be the beginning. FCB must finally advance in the cup competitions again in the future; the last time they reached a final was in 2020. The Club World Cup would be the perfect start.