Career drive triggers Jürgen Klopp's sensational nomination

While Jürgen Klopp emphasized in his first press conference that he is completely reshuffling the cards in the German national team, he surprises with the nomination of the 23‑year‑old Felix Keidel – a move that both addresses the previous selection criticism and highlights the player's rapid rise story.

New Selection Criteria

Klopp, 59, explained that only a handful of players have their place in the DFB team secured and that performance, form and work ethic will be the decisive factors in the future. He mentioned an imaginary list of 57 players from which he would draw for the first Nations League matches, without naming any names.

The announcement was to be considered a small sensation from the start, because it involved players with no previous contact with the national squad. This is intended to finally address the ongoing issue that has plagued the team since three failed World Cups.

Keidel's Profile

Late Tuesday evening, the newspaper reported that the 23‑year‑old Felix Keidel of SV Elversberg had received an invitation from the national coach; a day later the newspaper confirmed the report. The nomination is considered a massive surprise, as Keidel has so far only three appearances in the Bundesliga.

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Keidel started in 2012 in the A‑youth of FC Ingolstadt, progressed through all the U‑teams and was promoted to professional player in the summer of 2022. In the 3. Liga he made 37 appearances, scored one goal and provided four assists.

In 2025 he transferred for a fee of €400,000 to SV Elversberg, which after a narrow promotion against 1. FC Heidenheim was in the 2. Liga. Coach Vincent Wagner immediately made him a regular starter; Keidel made 25 appearances, 13 of them in the starting eleven, and contributed significantly to the promotion to the Bundesliga.

In the top German division, Keidel featured in three matches against Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayern Munich, scoring a goal against the Bayern. He also provided two assists in the DFB Cup against MSV Duisburg.

Klopp values Keidel's incredible versatility and sees him primarily as a right‑back in the national team, where since Philipp Lahm's retirement and Joshua Kimmich's shift no convincing option has existed. The previous search for a stable solution for this position was unsuccessful under Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann – Keidel's deployment could now solve the long‑standing issue in the squad.