Let's not beat around the bush here. It's well known that Nigel De Jong, while being a solid player, is a professional hack. He's never seen a rash tackle that he didn't fall in love with and then try to kick it to the ground. So, when De Jong left it late on a tackle against Joshua Kimmich in the first half, you can see why Bayern Munich was unhappy.
Kimmich would have to be subbed out of the match after only twenty minutes. He would walk off the field on his own, but Pep Guardiola took the tackle personally. Last year at the MLS All Star Game, Guardiola showed that he doesn't appreciate overly aggressive fouls in friendly matches.
At halftime, Guardiola had a few choice words for De Jong, and the Milan player had to be restrained by his teammates from going after the Bayern coach. As a player, you have to love that your coach expresses his displeasure at so ridiculous tackles.
"I told De Jong that I was sad for Joshua. He won't be able to play in the final and perhaps he'll be out even longer than that," Guardiola said after the match. "He certainly will become one of the best German players in the next 10 years."
So, this raises a new concern about Kimmich. We'll have to wait for word from the club on any potential time that he'll miss.
What do you think of De Jong's tackle on Kimmich? Was Guardiola within his right to "have a go" at the Milan midfielder? Poor Kimmich.