Huge Klopp shock with Ajax goalkeeper Ter Stegen for the Netherlands

The huge Klopp shock hangs in the training hall of German national coach Jürgen Klopp, because he wants his first squad for the Nations League to be sensational right away. He has announced that Ajax goalkeeper Marc Ter Stegen will take the place of Manuel Neuer and that he wants to call up an Elversberg player.

Klopp's surprising selection

Klopp has confirmed that Marc Ter Stegen of Ajax becomes the successor of Manuel Neuer in the German goalkeeping group. The 30-year-old goalkeeper therefore gets an immediate place in the first squad of the Mannschaft.

In addition, he wants to call up a player from the Bundesliga‑promotion side Elversberg, namely midfielder Felix Keidel. Keidel, who a few years ago still played at the Third Level, is now impressing in the Bundesliga, where his club recently lost narrowly to Bayern Munich, and now the Mannschaft is beckoning.

Klopp’s choice is being compared to a hypothetical call‑up of a player from Willem II, ADO or Cambuur to the Oranje next Friday. Such an unexpected move would significantly break the traditional selection principles.

Elversberg, under the leadership of former FC Ingolstadt player Keidel, has so far made a strong impression in the Bundesliga. The team lost very narrowly to Bayern Munich last weekend, which has increased the attention on the young midfielder.

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Another possible surprise is that striker Deniz Undav of VfB Stuttgart is not being called up. Undav scored three goals as a super‑sub at the last World Cup, but now appears to be out of the squad.

Klopp makes his debut on 24 September as national coach of the Mannschaft against the Netherlands in the Nations League. This is followed by home matches against Greece on 27 September and Serbia on 1 October, and an away match against Greece on 4 October.

Besides Ter Stegen, Ajax teammates Julian Brandt and Thilo Kehrer are also hoping for a call‑up. Brandt, a 48‑time international, has not been in the squad since 2024, while Kehrer, with 28 caps, has not been called up since June 2025.

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The bold choices underline Klopp’s willingness to look beyond the traditional pool, which makes the confrontation with the Oranje even more unpredictable. For German fans this means a fresh dynamic in the run‑up to the Nations‑League phase.