Kimmich criticises the top‑team status question after 0‑1 loss to Greece

In the home stadium, when the match against Greece reached the 70th minute, a tense silence fell – until Dimitrios Kourbelis scored the decisive goal to make it 0‑1. The loss put the German national team, in its second match under Jürgen Klopp, immediately on the back foot.

Kimmich talks about the team's status

Captain Joshua Kimmich was self‑critical after the result and said that the team currently does not meet the status of a top side. He justified this by stating that a top team must not only beat big nations, but also win against supposedly weaker opponents.

"We didn't beat the Netherlands and we lost today. Accordingly, we are currently not a top side," Kimmich said after the match. The 31‑year‑old midfielder emphasized that his statement was not a final assessment, but a snapshot of the current state of the German national team.

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When responding to Bastian Schweinsteiger's assessment that Germany has now settled into mediocrity, Kimmich replied unequivocally: "Yes, that's how you have to put it," he confirmed.

Despite the critical words, Kimmich stressed that it is more important to develop back into a top side rather than fixating on the current status. He pointed out that the squad must work on the upcoming matches.

Matthäus accuses Klopp of Kimmich decision – captain criticism

Jürgen Klopp, the new national team coach, tried to give hope after the defeat and is planning a changed line‑up for the next two games. However, Kimmich will no longer experience the upcoming fixtures on the pitch, as he is leaving the DFB team early, as intended by Klopp.