The changed routines and rhythms around matches have been startling for Joshua Kimmich. Playing for Bayern Munich in vast, empty stadiums has affected not just the spectacle, but the game itself in the COVID-19 era.
“Normally you have more adrenaline and more tension inside your body when you walk in and see the 80,000 fans,” Kimmich said via videoconferencing from Munich. “Nearly everything has changed.”
The silence reminds Kimmich of playing in youth leagues. The supportive screams — and heckles — from the crowd are absent.
Photo: Reuters
“You have to push yourself, push your teammates — you have to be focused and concentrate more,” Kimmich said. “Normally when there are fans, you are focused just because of that — because you know that if you make a mistake, everybody will be like: ‘Whoa.’ You feel this mistake more. Also, you feel more if you score a goal. It’s more emotional when there are fans.”
“The stadium is always full at Bayern and it’s really amazing,” Kimmich said. “This is maybe what I miss the most, but the positive thing is you can speak to everybody and maybe the focus is more on the game. It’s not like a show. Also, there is no more big show from the players any more — lying on the ground and screaming. It’s more focused on the game.”
Kimmich’s chip from outside the penalty area at Borussia Dortmund sealed the win in Bayern’s biggest away game of the season.
“Especially against Dortmund, there is always a great atmosphere,” Kimmich said. “[No crowds mean] it’s more a disadvantage for the home team than for us.”
Winning on the road is nothing unusual for the defending champions, who won five in a row before the league was paused.
Since the restart, Bayern have won all four games — half away — to climb seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
For some teams losing their home advantage is more unexpected when it is not a powerhouse like Bayern visiting.
Only 22 percent of games have been won at home since the resumption, a slump from 40 percent before the break, with teams that have a reputation for passionate home fans struggling more than most.
Cologne and Union Berlin — who have modest budgets, but a reputation for overwhelming visiting opponents in a cauldron of noise — are four games without a win.
Medical checks ensure that players are not spreading the coronavirus. It also means wearing face masks around hotels and on the drive to stadiums. Players sit apart for meals and are tested for COVID-19 every few days.
“As a club we know that we are all responsible for each other, so we have to follow the distancing,” Kimmich said. “For us it is really safe. Here in Germany, we are the role model for other countries.”
The Bundesliga was the first major league to resume in Europe. England, Italy and Spain are due to follow, but France abandoned its season in April.
“Not everybody thinks that it’s good that football is coming back,” Kimmich said. “But the system is good.”
The downside would be the lack of a party in Munich’s main square if an eighth successive title is clinched.
“This year we have to drink all the beer,” Kimmich said. “It is strange, of course. It is better to win it with the fans, but we don’t have the choice now.”
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