Jürgen Klopp could make Vitaly Janelt England's glue – Bundesliga newcomer ahead of DFB debut

At Brentford Stadium, where the fans sing the anthem of “The Bees”, the 28‑year‑old Vitaly Janelt is on the verge of playing his first international match for Germany – a debut that comes exactly ten years after his expulsion from the DFB‑U19.

From scandal to international appearance

In the autumn of 2016, while Janelt was still playing for the German U‑19 team, he and his then RB Leipzig teammate Idrissa Toure were involved in a shisha incident that sparked a fire in a hotel room. The two were subsequently expelled from the youth academy by Ralf Rangnick, received fines and had to perform hundreds of hours of community service.

Janelt and Toure later denied having smoked the shisha themselves, pointing to other teammates, including the 18‑year‑old BVB talent Felix Passlack. Despite the controversy, Janelt did not remain idle: He moved to VfL Bochum in 2017, where he amassed 54 appearances in the German top flight from 2017 to 2020.

Breakthrough in England

In the summer of 2017, Janelt transferred to Brentford FC for a fee of €600,000. There he quickly developed into a defensive midfield anchor, playing at least 30 matches almost every season and captaining the side. In the Premier League he made 166 appearances, scored twelve goals and was described by manager Keith Andrews as the “glue” because he structures the play and organizes the defence.

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A broken middle foot kept him out only in the previous season; after a successful rehabilitation he extended his contract until 2030. In an interview he said: “Individual quality can be bought, mentality and cohesion cannot,” a line he emphasized in Jürgen Klopp’s style.

Return to the national team

After a brief spell as a reserve player in the German U‑21 team that won the European Championship in 2021, Janelt was on Hansi Flick’s 55‑man list for the 2022 World Cup, but did not feature. Now, as one of eleven newcomers in the squad of national team coach Jürgen Klopp, he could celebrate his debut on Thursday against Serbia.

Janelt himself reflects on the 2016 incident: “At the end of the day I’m now ten years older. I have a little daughter, everyone grows up sometime. Women are a bit calmer when it comes to causing trouble. I think everyone has to learn from their mistakes.”