Wrestling world champion Stäbler warns Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich: “Stony path to comeback”

Wrestling world champion Frank Stäbler has warned national player Joshua Kimmich not to take corona disease lightly. “It will be a rocky road to the comeback,” said the 32-year-old the news portal t-online.

“Joshua Kimmich now has something he has never had before. And that is very difficult to assess because there is a lack of long-term medical studies,” he said.

Stäbler was infected with Covid-19 in autumn 2020 and feared for months about his participation in the Olympic Games in Tokyo due to the consequences of his illness. “I said to myself at the time: You have something you’ve never had, so you have to do something you’ve never done before. I can give Kimmich this tip too,” he said now. Bayern professional Kimmich cannot train fully again due to lung problems and will be out until the end of the year.

Stäbler had lost 20 percent of his lung volume after his illness. “Back then, I started looking for a breathing trainer because I was just desperate. That made a huge difference.” He advises Kimmich to take his time with his comeback: “In this case, a lot doesn’t help much. You just need a lot of patience.”

Stäbler still managed to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he won the bronze medal.