Two years after Germany’s disappointing World Cup campaign in Qatar, captain Joshua Kimmich continues to reflect on the team’s actions, both on and off the pitch, and cautioned against repeating similar mistakes in the 2034 edition in Saudi Arabia.
The tournament was marred by controversy over Qatar’s human rights record, with many fans and pundits criticizing the national team for overly engaging in the debate, which many believe contributed to their poor performance and early group-stage exit.
Ahead of Germany’s Nations League match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday, Kimmich admitted that, as a team, federation, and nation, Germany “didn’t make a good impression” in Qatar.
"It was a shame for us that we had to express ourselves so politically," Kimmich said, adding that the "enjoyment of the tournament was taken away."
"In general, I believe that we as players should stand up for things and values. On the other hand, it's not our job to express ourselves politically, we have experts in the country and in the association for that," he said.
The 2034 World Cup is set to take place in Saudi Arabia. The nation, which is also highly controversial when it comes to human rights, is the only bidder.
Kimmich said he hopes players will be able to concentrate on the sport in 10 years time, stressing that "we're footballers, not politicians."
Before the end of the season, Kimmich will have a "very, very important" decision to make as his contract with Bayern Munich expires next summer.
"It should be carefully considered," he said, adding that he was in dialogue with the German record champions and "that will continue to be the case". Kimmich has played in Munich since 2015.
He want to play "for a long time" but only as long as it's possible to play "at the highgest level."
"Of course I really, really enjoy football, but I'm not planning - no offence - to let it end in the second or third division," Kimmich said.
