Lothar Matthaus backs Bayern Munich star to captain Germany

Lothar Matthaus has backed Bayern Munich star to takeover the captaincy of the German national team after the retirement of İlkay Gündoğan.

The German football team has undergone big changes after Euro 2024. Toni Kroos had already insisted that Euro 2024 would be his last tournament with Germany. Bayern Munich star Thomas Müller announced his retirement after Germany lost to Spain in the quarter-final. Manuel Neuer and İlkay Gündoğan confirmed their retirement from international football this week.

Julian Nagelsmann has two years to rebuild the squad and prepare a strong team for the World Cup 2026. The German head coach must nominate a new captain ahead of September’s international captain since İlkay Gündoğan was his skipper during Euro 2024.

DFB and Nagelsmann are likely to announce the new captain of the German national team next week when the squad for the Nations League games against Hungary and Netherlands is released.

Former German international Lothar Matthaus has backed Nagelsmann to choose Joshua Kimmich as the new captain of the German national team. While talking to DPA. Matthaus insisted that Kimmich has all the right qualities to lead the national team.

“A lot speaks for Joshua Kimmich now. I’m a fan of his. He can play at a world class level in two positions. He leads the way, he hits the nail on the head, he’s highly intelligent and can read the game.”

Matthaus had previously predicted Kimmich to captain Bayern and Germany in 2018. The captaincy at Bayern may not come soon for Kimmich due to the presence of Neuer in the squad, but he should be expected to lead the national team in the coming weeks.

Kimmich fulfils Matthaus’ wish of staying at Bayern

Earlier this summer, Matthaus had urged Kimmich to continue playing at Bayern next season amidst intense speculation about his future. The German midfielder was heavily linked with Paris Saint-Germain. The French club had reportedly contacted Bayern to know the conditions of a possible deal for Kimmich.

However, Kimmich eventually decided to stay in Munich. The 29-year-old midfielder has left the door open for a new contract. Bayern are expected to start negotiations with Kimmich in the coming weeks as he enters the final year of his current deal.

Along with staying at Bayern, Kimmich will play in the midfield under Vincent Kompany. He played the majority of the games as a right-back during the second half of the last season. However, the Belgian coach is planning to use Kimmich in the center of the park. The German midfielder is expected to start in midfield alongside Joao Palhinha on Sunday in the first league game of the season against Wolfsburg.

The Bavarian faithful will be pleased to see Kimmich staying at the club. Considering the passion and quality he brings on the pitch, Kimmich can certainly become a full-time captain at Bayern in the future. For now, it will be intriguing to see how he leads the German national team if Nagelsmann appoints him the new skipper.