FCB players on international duty
It’s quiet at Säbener Straße. While some of the Bayern players are already enjoying a well-earned holiday, others are currently joining up with their national teams. As well as qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Confederations Cup (17 June – 2 July) is also happening over the summer. fcbayern.com rounds up when and where Bayern’s internationals are in action.
Sole representative Kimmich
It’ll be an unusual situation for Joshua Kimmich when he joins up with the Germany squad as the 22 year-old is the only current Bayern player in coach Joachim Löw’s squad. However Kimmich will meet his future teammates Niklas Süle and Sebastian Rudy, who have also been called up for the friendly against Denmark (6 June) and the World Cup qualifier at home to San Marino (10 June). The trio will then head to Russia for the Confed Cup where Germany face Australia (19 June), Chile (22 June) and Cameroon (25 June) in the group stages.
Kimmich will be particularly looking forward to the match against Chile and going up against his Bayern teammate Arturo Vidal. The 30 year-old is in the South Americans’ squad for the friendlies against Burkina Faso (3 June), Russia (9 June) and Romania (13 June). Chile play Cameroon (18 June) before their meeting with Germany and end the group stages against Australia (25 June).
Rafinha called up
Vidal and Kimmich aren’t the only FCB players competing for trophies in the summer. Renato Sanches is in the Portugal squad for the European Under-21 Championship (16-30 June) in Poland, where he’ll play against Serbia (17 June), Spain (20 June) as well as Macedonia (23 June) in the group phase. Robert Lewandowski will be able to watch these matches in his home country as the Poland captain only has one international assignment over the summer. The goalscorer takes on Romania in Warsaw on 10 June with Poland looking to take a big step towards qualification for Russia 2018.
It’s the same for David Alaba, whose Austria side play their only international of the summer break against Republic of Ireland a day later in Dublin. Important points for qualification will be at stake there, too – points that Arjen Robben and the Netherlands team also desperately need. After a friendly against Morocco in Agadir on 11 June, the ‘Oranje’ head to Rotterdam for a friendly against Ivory Coast (4 June) followed by a World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg (9 June).
For Thiago, his travels begin in Murcia, where Spain will play a friendly against Colombia on 7 June in preparation for the qualifier in Macedonia on 11 June. Brazilian pair Douglas Costa and Rafinha, who’s been called up to the squad for the first time since September 2015, will be collecting a few more air miles. They travel to Melbourne for two friendlies against Argentina on 9 June and Australia on 13 June.