According to Sport1, Michael Ballack stated that Kimmich remains an important member of the German national team.

In the latest discussion surrounding Kimmich's role in the national team, the Germany captain received support from a former captain. However, Ballack also offered clear expectations.

Speaking on DAZN about external doubts concerning Kimmich, Ballack said: "This is a bit much for me."

Before Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match against Augsburg, Ballack said: "For me, right now, he is a very important member—he is the national team captain." He disagreed with much of the external criticism directed at the 31-year-old midfielder.

In the two Nations League matches that Germany played without Kimmich, the team performed significantly better, defeating Serbia 2-0 and drawing 0-0 with Greece. This led to the perception that the midfield, comprising Aleksandar Pavlovic and Tom Bischof, functioned better without Kimmich. Former Germany international Markus Babbel had also questioned Kimmich's role in the team going forward.

Ballack disagreed with this assessment. He had captained Germany until 2010, after which Philipp Lahm took over the armband. Ballack stated: "This discussion really only exists because he (Klopp, editor's note) tested many matches, and others performed well. He will get through this discussion—he must get through this discussion."

Ballack also believes that Kimmich's request to Klopp to stay with the team after the first two national team matches was "primarily positive." Kimmich's club coach, Vincent Kompany, also recently defended his player, calling the current debate "a small storm."

When Kompany was asked on Sky Sports how many hugs Kimmich needed after a difficult international break, he replied: "Let's go back to the very beginning. We won our last game 7-0. For us, nothing else matters. The players are in great form. This game is coming up, and that's all that matters."

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