Jürgen Klopp wants to reshape the country as one of its 83 million

On the podium of the DFB‑event, where Jürgen Klopp presented his first squad as the new German national coach, he wore a cap with the inscription “one of 83 Million”. The 59‑year‑old coach thus officially introduced the largest DFB squad of all time and emphatically signaled his message immediately.

A Message for 83 Million

The cap carried the clear message that Klopp sees himself as part of the German population. He said he is simply one of 83 million and wanted to emphasize his closeness to the fans.

“I am one of you. And I do this for all of us,” the new national coach explained during the presentation. With this he wanted to make clear that he operates not over the team, but with the whole country.

Klopp also emphasized that he wants to take the flag away from “the wrong one” and lead Germany towards a “positive patriotism” – a call to redefine the country. This statement went beyond purely footballing goals and touched the national self‑understanding.

The XXL‑squad he presented is a sign of state‑supporting statements that go beyond sport. Klopp wants to make German football successful and at the same time influence the country socially.

At 59 years old, he sees his task as achieving sporting success as well as being effective beyond football. His goal is to inspire the country and strengthen that of German football.

Another goal is to find his way back into the hearts of German football fans, many of whom had ostracized him after his time at RB Leipzig and his role as “permanent advertiser”. Klopp hopes to regain their trust.

Christoph Biermann has traced Klopp’s journey to the national coach position in the current issue and discusses the open questions in the podcast episode “So ist Fußball”. There he reports on meetings with Klopp and his research into this new era at the DFB.