November 13, (THEWILL) – Germany’s new national team captain, Joshua Kimmich, has stated that while players should uphold certain values, they are not political experts and should not be expected to express political opinions all the time.
Kimmich’s comments come ahead of the FIFA Congress vote next month, which is expected to select Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 World Cup. The decision has faced criticism from human rights groups over the country’s record.
Reflecting on Germany’s experiences at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Kimmich said the team’s political stance had taken away from the joy of the tournament. “We expressed political opinions and it took away from the joy of the tournament”, he said.
The 29-year-old midfielder emphasised that while players should stand for specific values, especially as the captain of the national team, they are not the experts when it comes to politics. “I am no political expert”, Kimmich stated.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
