Klopp faces debut pressure as only the Kaiser and Ribbeck lost before
In the glowing lights of the Johan Cruyff Arena, Jürgen Klopp prepares for his first match as DFB head coach at 20.45, aware that history offers little comfort. Only the “Kaiser” and Ribbeck Verlierer have ever seen a debut end in defeat for the German side.
Alle German national team coaches in this century have secured a win on their first match. Only two start defeats have ever been recorded for a DFB head coach, making Klopp’s task appear manageable.
Only two debut defeats
The only two coaches to lose their first match are the “Kaiser” and Ribbeck Verlierer. Franz Beckenbauer’s debut ended 1‑3 against Argentina in 1984, while Erich Ribbeck fell 0‑1 in Turkey in autumn 1998. Both suffered their loss on their Premiere for the DFB.
Klopp’s upcoming test
Jürgen Klopp’s Debüt is set for 20.45 at the Johan Cruyff Arena against the Netherlands. The DFB Chef will be on the touchline, hoping to turn the Start into a victory. A win would put the new manager on the right Auf for future qualifiers.
Historical debut milestones
The first DFB head coach celebrated his Premiere in Amsterdam with a 3‑2 win over the Netherlands on 31 October 1926. Such a historic Star performance would please Klopp, who dreams of a similar start.
Tresoldi thanks Klopp but delays the choice between Germany and Italy
Earlier, the assistant Nerz officially took charge on 15 November 1936 with a 2‑2 draw against Italy in Berlin, a match that foreshadowed a later triumph in Bern eighteen years on. Helmut Schön began his successful tenure on 4 November 1964 with a 1‑1 draw against Sweden in the Berlin Olympiastadion.
Derwall started on 11 October 1978 with a 4‑3 test win in Prague and then remained unbeaten for 22 matches, culminating in the Euro 1980 title. His record shows how a strong Debüt can set the tone for an era.
Franz Beckenbauer finally celebrated his first win in his second match as DFB coach, after an early Euro exit and a 1‑3 loss to Argentina on 12 September 1984 in Düsseldorf. He later handed a hypothesis of German invincibility to his assistant Vogts, who would later become a DFB head coach himself.
Later coaches have also left their mark: Rudi Völler briefly acted as a placeholder for Christoph Daum before delivering a 4‑1 victory over Spain on 16 August 2000 in Hannover, the highest win against that opponent. Kevin Kuranyi, a Star of his generation, scored all three goals in a 3‑1 win over Austria on 18 August 2004, while both Joachim Löw and Jürgen Klinsmann launched their own successful Debüt periods.