“You are the host Joshua; the host”

TO Guardiola they had spoken wonders of Joshua Kimmich (Rottweil, 2-8-1995), a boy from the Stuttgart quarry who had gone to Leipzig at 18. So in August 2014 wanted to see him play in situ in the Allianz play against Munich 1860. Guardiola requested his signing, which was completed in 2015 after Bayern paid 8.5 million euros to the Stuttgart, which in turn had paid Leipzig 1.5 million to get it back. Today, and despite the fact that the Covid crisis has gone down the appraisals of the footballers, Kimmich is worth 75 million of euros. At 25, he has already played 146 Bundesliga games and 43 Champions League games, as well as 48 with the national team, in which he made his debut in 2016.

“Kimmich will be the successor to Lahm“. The phrase, from March 2017It does not belong to just anyone. Karl-Heinz Rummenige, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bayern Munich, advance to the rumors that were setting Kimmich to Manchester with Guardiola after Ancelotti did not give him all the minute that I needed at the age of 22. Bayern, however, knew that a great player was cooking there.

“I have to thank you very much to Guardiola“said a few months ago Kimmich when for a few weeks, before Flick got into a run, he rumored the possibility of the Pep's return to Munich in the summer of 2020. With a innate tactical talent, Guardiola made a player who, certainly, had Lahm stuff although its transit, contrary to the lateral one, has been the opposite. From midfielder to right-backAlthough his preferred position is still the creation zone and his return to the side has to do with the injury of the Frenchman Pavard.

Guardiola saw in Kimmich the player what could be in the future coach projection in the countryside. In that, also similar to Lahm. That is why he filled his head with concepts. I knew that Kimmich he could internalize them. You just have to see his way of playing football. Simple, without fanfare, practical.

To illustrate to what extent was intense the relationship between Guardiola and Kimmich, nothing better than him episode that recounts journalist Martí Perarnau in his book “Pep Guardiola, the metamorphosis”. In March 2016 a Dortmund-Bayern which ended 0-0. From that game, the image that most transcended was that of Guardiola shooting out for Kimmich. Earlier, he asked Benatia: “Mehdi, have you given the instructions to Kimmich?” The Algerian answered yes, but that “there was a lot of noise.” Then Guardiola grabbed the German and asked him: “Have you heard Benatia's instructions?” “No, Pep, I haven't heard them”, replied the player. “Damn, you had to position yourself as a midfielder!” Guardiola informed him. “You had to get ahead of the defense of four and hold the position, but you have left the area And we've lost control You have to be attentive when they give you instructions “.”I have not heard“, the player apologized.

Guardiola reacted quickly and hugged Kimmich. He wasn't scolding him. “You played great, Josh. You are good, very good. I told you you could do it, I told you! You are the hell, Josh, you are the hell. I am very proud of you. “Four years later, Kimmich It's one of the Bayern bosses. A Guardiola soldier.