Jürgen Klopp sparks sensation as Keidel makes DFB nomination

Until summer 2025, Felix Keidel was still playing in the third division, but Jürgen Klopp creates a sensation with his DFB nomination by calling up the 23‑year‑old unknown from the Bundesliga‑expansion SV Elversberg into the German squad for the Nations League matches.

Keidel's Rise and Role

Since summer 2025, Felix Keidel has been active at the Bundesliga‑expansion SV Elversberg, after having played in the third division with FC Ingolstadt. In the current season he played the full 90 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach and in the DFB Cup against MSV Duisburg, and last weekend he was on the pitch for 73 minutes against FC Bayern Munich. El is a short reference to the club name.

Until the nomination, the 23‑year‑old midfielder had only three appearances in the Bundesliga, which makes the selection a surprising decision. Originally trained as a right‑back, he is now primarily used in the defensive midfield centre.

National team coach Jürgen Klopp will announce the final squad next Thursday at 10:00 a.m. The first Nations League matches will be against the Netherlands on September 24, against Greece on September 27, against Serbia on October 1, and again against Greece on October 4.

Further Nominations and Squad Details

According to the report, besides Keidel other names such as Lennart Karl, Tom Bischof, Jonas Urbig, Jonathan Burkardt and Younes Ebnoutalib are already under consideration. Saïd El Mala from Cologne could also make his debut, while Marc‑Andre ter Stegen is expected to return to the goal.

German media predict three-way points race in Nations League group

It was only on Tuesday evening that the Ajax Amsterdam coach, Michel, confirmed that ter Stegen, after his move from Barcelona, is again regularly in action. Consequently, he is expected to take the number one spot in goal for the national team.

Oliver Baumann, the goalkeeper of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, will surprisingly not be selected. His absence opens up space for ter Stegen and other keeper options such as Jonas Urbig, Alexander Nübel and Finn Dahmen.

The selection of defenders also includes Jonas Urbig from FC Bayern Munich, Alexander Nübel, who is currently playing at Beşiktaş Istanbul, and Finn Dahmen from FC Augsburg. With this, Klopp has a wide range of players for the upcoming Nations League matches.

It highlights the contrast between Keidel's rise from the third division to the national team and Klopp's willingness to nurture unproven talent. The episode shows that the sensation surrounding the DFB nomination is not merely an isolated case, but could be a sign of a new selection philosophy.