Jürgen Klopp selects record‑largest squad, but leaves Deniz Undav out
Jürgen Klopp, as the new national team coach of Germany, has announced his first squad: a record size of 44 players, without the ex‑Union striker Deniz Undav. The news was presented on Thursday during a press conference in Frankfurt.
Squad build-up
The core is divided into two groups: a first group of 24 players and a second of 21. Both groups form the basis for the four Nations League matches that Germany will play this autumn. Klopp indicated that this allows him to manage the workload while getting to know as much talent as possible.
“I really enjoyed putting together this list. We have found many talents. I want to meet as many players as possible,” Klopp said during the press conference in Frankfurt.
The first group will handle the match against the Netherlands on 24 September in Amsterdam and the game against Greece on 27 September in Augsburg. The second group will face Serbia on 1 October in Munich and Greece on 4 October in Thessaloniki. The four matches take place in four different cities, bringing additional logistical challenges.
Only one player, Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen, appears on both lists and thus could make his debut for the national team. He had been called up earlier, but has not yet earned an official cap.
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Who is missing and who returns
The overall squad includes eleven newcomers, among them Felix Keidel (Elversberg), Finn Jeltsch (Stuttgart), Vitaly Janelt (Brentford) and Mika Baur (Celtic). Also Hennes Behrens (Augsburg), Younis Ebnoutalib (Eintracht Frankfurt) and the Freiburg players Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu, Derry Scherhant and Yannik Engelhardt receive their first call-up. These are the first call-ups for a number of these players to the national team.
Returnees include Marc‑André Ter Stegen (Ajax), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich) and Karim Adeyemi (FC Barcelona), who have put the World Cup injuries behind them. Their experience should stabilise the young group.
Not called up were Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Leroy Sané (Galatasaray) and Deniz Undav (Stuttgart, ex‑Union), despite the generous size of the list. Their absence has sparked discussion in the German press. The absence of Undav, Baumann and Sané is considered noteworthy by analysts.
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Klopp took over from Julian Nagelsmann after a disappointing World Cup, in which Germany were eliminated in the round of 16 by Paraguay. The previous coach faced heavy criticism after the early exit from the tournament. The new squad now has to show whether the change of direction bears fruit.
With the upcoming four Nations League fixtures, Klopp has the opportunity to test his broad pool and assemble a definitive squad for the qualification phase. The performances of the newcomers will be decisive for the future of the German team.