Jürgen Klopp makes Marc-Andre ter Stegen number one – for now
At the Frankfurt DFB campus there is a tense excitement as new national team coach Jürgen Klopp on Thursday announces the first squad nomination of his tenure: Marc‑Andre ter Stegen is to – at least for now – after a long period of suffering become the number one goalkeeper for the German national team again.
Ter Stegen as number one
"He is fit and brings the necessary experience," Klopp emphasizes, while also stating clearly: "But it will always depend on performance. We have no goalkeeper problem at all." The 34‑year‑old man from Ajax Amsterdam will thus return to the DFB jersey after 15 months.
Ter Stegen, who has been playing for the club since his move to Ajax Amsterdam, will be in the Nations League duel against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 – a virtual home game for the German keeper.
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Joshua Kimmich remains captain of the national eleven. With 114 caps and ten goals he is the most experienced man in the squad for the four upcoming Nations League matches.
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Klopp plans to bring Kimmich back into the central midfield, where he regularly plays for Bayern Munich. "I expect him to fully deliver his potential with us every time. I have no doubt about that," said Klopp.
Other nominated goalkeepers in the double squad are Finn Dahmen (for all four games), Alexander Nübel (for the matches against the Netherlands and Greece I), Jonas Urbig (FC Bayern) and Noah Atubolu (SC Freiburg), who will only be used against Serbia and in the away game against Greece.
Ter Stegen was already the number one under Julian Nagelsmann after Manuel Neuer's (temporary) resignation after Euro 2024, before injuries returned. Since his patellar tendon rupture in September 2024 he has only played twelve official matches: three for FC Barcelona, two for FC Girona and seven for Ajax.
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His most recent international match was on June 8 2025, a 0‑2 loss to France in the Nations League in Stuttgart. After Klopp's debut the match against Greece follows on September 27, then Serbia on October 1 and Greece again on October 4. Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim) is missing from the squad.