Klopp embraces Wirtz after his debut as captain

According to the Getty Images photo by Oriol Martínez, Jürgen Klopp showed his affection for Florian Wirtz by hugging him after the match against Serbia, in which the German, after a modest season at Liverpool, scored his first goal of the campaign and wore the captain's armband of the Germany national team.

Wirtz arrived at Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen, but in two seasons he barely saw the net seven times and, in the current one, had not yet scored, with only one assist.

Revival in the national team

In the 39th minute he was close to opening the scoring: a cross from Treu was cleared by the Serbian defence, the ball reached Pavlovic, who passed it to Liverpool's number 7; Wirtz controlled it, performed a nutmeg and hit the post, while Bischof seized the rebound to open the scoring. After Gnabry's substitution, Wirtz received Germany's captain's armband and, far from feeling pressured, showed comfort in the final third, scoring in the 52nd minute the second and decisive goal of the match, his first goal of the season, raising his tally to thirteen goals for the national team.

Klopp's gesture

Aware of the striker's poor run, Klopp, elated after the victory, approached the player at the end of the match and gave him a strong hug, saying: “We played a great match from start to finish.” The coach highlighted the importance of the gesture, emphasizing the confidence he places in Wirtz despite his difficulties at the club.

Wirtz, in the mixed zone, described his appointment as captain as “something special” and said it was not on his list of objectives, but that it fills him with pride. We will see if this goal serves as a boost to regain the level he displayed at Bayer Leverkusen.