Klopp presents 44 players and a new message in his DFB debut
DFB debut: Klopp presented his first squad as national team coach on Thursday: 44 players, divided into two groups, each available for two international matches. The announcement took place in Berlin and marks the official start of his tenure.
Klopp sends a message to the fans
The new coach used the press conference to deliver a clear message to German fans. He emphasized that he wants to stay out of political issues in the future and aims to generate more enthusiasm for football in Germany. “We need to find the fun in the whole thing again. I hope I won’t have to talk about political matters in the future,” said Jürgen Klopp.
New faces in the squad
Klopp named 16 possible debutants, of which eleven are completely new to the national team. The newcomers include Mika Baur (Celtic Glasgow), who emphasizes doing his own thing in his sport, and Hennes Behrens (FC Augsburg), who is surprised by his nomination. Bambasé Conte (TSG Hoffenheim) received a two‑minute laugh from Klopp, while Younes Ebnoutalib (Eintracht Frankfurt) was praised for a three‑pack in Berlin. Finn Jeltsch (VfB Stuttgart) was highlighted for his U‑17 World and European championship titles, and Vitaly Janelt (FC Brentford) spoke of the Premier League as “Nonplusultra.”
Omission of familiar names
Well‑known names such as Deniz Undav and Leroy Sané are completely absent from the 44‑man squad. Also Oliver Baumann, the injured Leon Goretzka, Pascal Groß, Angelo Stiller and Jamie Leweling were not taken into account. Manuel Neuer and Antonio Rüdiger had already stepped down after the last World Cup disaster.
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Job‑sharing and schedule
Klopp plans a job‑sharing model: after the second match, players rotate between the two groups. Squad 1 faces the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 and three days later takes on Greece in Augsburg. Squad 2 plays Serbia in Munich on October 1 and then Greece in Thessaloniki.
Squad 1 in detail
Goalkeeper: Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg), Alexander Nübel (Besiktas), Marc‑André ter Stegen (Ajax Amsterdam). Defence: Hennes Behrens (FC Augsburg), Yann Aurel Bisseck (Inter Mailand), Nathaniel Brown (Bayern München), Max Rosenfelder (SC Freiburg), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern München), Philipp Treu (SC Freiburg), Josha Vagnoman (VfB Stuttgart). Midfield: Nadiem Amiri (FSV Mainz 05), Bambasé Conte (TSG Hoffenheim), Yannik Engelhardt (SC Freiburg), Chris Führich (VfB Stuttgart), Serge Gnabry (Bayern München), Lennart Karl (Bayern München), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern München), Jamal Musiala (Bayern München), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Schade (FC Brentford), Anton Stach (Leeds United). Attack: Younes Ebnoutalib (Eintracht Frankfurt), Kai Havertz (FC Arsenal).
Squad 2 in detail
Goalkeeper: Noah Atubolu (Eintracht Frankfurt), Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg), Jonas Urbig (Bayern München). Defence: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Ridle Baku (RB Leipzig), Finn Jeltsch (VfB Stuttgart), Maximilian Mittelstädt (VfB Stuttgart), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United). Midfield: Karim Adeyemi (FC Barcelona), Mika Baur (Celtic Glasgow), Tom Bischof (Bayern München), Said El Mala (1. FC Köln), Brajan Gruda (RB Leipzig), Vitaly Janelt (FC Brentford), Felix Keidel (SV Elversberg), Aleksander Pavlovic (Bayern München), Derry Scherhant (SC Freiburg), Florian Wirtz (FC Liverpool). Attack: Jonathan Burkardt (Eintracht Frankfurt), Nick Woltemade (Juventus Turin).
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With his comprehensive selection and the call for “positive patriotism,” Jürgen Klopp wants to re‑ignite the 83 million Germans for football and strengthen the sense of community.