Kimmich admits surprise over RB Leipzig's quick rise to the top
Joshua Kimmich admits it has surprised him just how quickly his former club RB Leipzig have emerged as a top club in Germany.
Bayern München star Joshua Kimmich has commented on the development of RB Leipzig ahead of Saturday's DFB-Pokal final clash with his former club.
RB Leipzig pulled off a second-place finish in the Bundesliga in the 2016/17 season - their first ever ever Bundesliga campaign - and have since ended up sixth and third respectively in the following seasons.
And Kimmich, who played for RB Leipzig from 2013 to 2015, admits that his former club's rapid rise to the top has come as a surprise to him.
"Above all, their first Bundesliga season was surprising. I expected that they would get promoted to the Bundesliga and play a good role there, but that they emerged as a top club so quickly was a surprise for everyone. And you have to say that it's no coincidence. They have quality," Kimmich told Sportbuzzer.
Kimmich, who played youth football at Stuttgart before joining Leipzig, feels he got a lot out of his own stay at the club.
"I learned to play adult football in Leizpig. Before that, I played youth football and lived at a boarding school. I matured at RB - in footballing terms as well. I made the jump from the youth team to the professional team," he said and added:
"Additionally, the style of play there was very special. It's never hurtful to a player's development to get to know the kind of football that is played in Leipzig."
Kimmich made 55 appearances for RB Leipzig with three goals and four assists to his name.