Bundesliga
"Kimmich an absolutely phenomenal player" – Mourinho
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho – who faced Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League group stages in 2019/20 – says that Germany international Joshua Kimmich "has the qualities to be anything".
Bayern recorded their second-biggest win of the Champions League season against English Premier League opponents Spurs back in October, when four-goal Serge Gnabry stunned the London crowd in a 7-2 victory.
Mourinho wasn't the Spurs boss by that stage, but he was on the bench when Bayern won the reverse fixture 3-1 on their way to topping Group B. The 57-year-old has since watched Gnabry and others produce headline performances in recent victories over Barcelona and Lyon to reach the Champions League final.
He has picked out Kimmich, though, as a player that is so good that he can play anywhere he wants to.
"I see him as a top right-back, left-back, centre-back, No.6, No.8, No.10... he has qualities to be anything," Mourinho told DAZN. "He's intelligent and understands what he has to do here and what he has to do there. I think he's phenomenal - absolutely phenomenal player."
Having starred in central midfield for much of the season, Kimmich has reverted to his old position of right-back for the final stages of the Champions League due to an injury to Benjamin Pavard. He has still contributed significantly in attack, however, scoring in the 8-2 crushing of Barcelona in the quarter-final.
Watch: All of Kimmich's goals and assists in 2019/20
Kimmich's versatility and overall influence on the team means that Mourinho sees the 25-year-old in the same light as Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and star striker Robert Lewandowski.
"I'm a team coach and not an individual coach," Mourinho said. "For me, the team is much more important than the individuals. For Bayern to win the Champions League is much more important than for somebody to win an individual award but I see this kid [Kimmich] with Lewandowski [and] Neuer.
"I see this kid with these guys in an elite group capable of winning individual awards."
Mourinho also praised the resurgence of Thomas Müller this season, and feels that Hansi Flick has done brilliant work since taking charge of the German champions in November.
"He's almost at the beginning of his career as head coach, but he's doing a fantastic job at Bayern," the former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid coach said. "Since Flick took over, the team has been playing football again. The empathy between him and his players is very important."