Klopp's first national team with surprising new signings
Jürgen Klopp will on Thursday at the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt am Main present his first squad as head coach of the German national football team. The announcement has been causing a media stir for days, because fans and the press speculate which players will be included and which will not.
First international matches under Klopp
The official start of the era of Klopp takes place on 24 September with a friendly in the Netherlands. This is followed by a home match against Greece on 27 September, another home match against Serbia on 1 October and an away match against Greece on 4 October. Already two days before the official announcement of the DFB squad, the coverage was boiling like an autumn storm.
Especially noticeable is the omission from the squad of the 30‑year‑old striker Deniz Undav of VfB Stuttgart. Undav scored three goals as a “joker” in the group stage of the World Cup in North America, after Klopp had called him into the starting eleven as a TV analyst following the 7:1 victory over Curaçao. Now the 59‑year‑old coach appears to be taking a different path.
New offensive options from Frankfurt
Instead of Undav, Klopp, according to media reports, relies on the Frankfurt forwards Younes Ebnoutalib (23) and Jonathan Burkardt (26). Burkardt has already made five appearances for the four‑time world champion, while Ebnoutalib could celebrate his debut in the national team. The possible inclusion could also serve to bind the 23‑year‑old Ebnoutalib permanently to the DFB, as he would also be eligible to play for Morocco.
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Another possible debut could, according to "", belong to the 20‑year‑old Said El Mala of 1. FC Köln. El Mala was still in the squad of Julian Nagelsmann in November 2025, but was dropped again after the first match against Luxembourg and missed the World Cup. Felix Keidel, 23, from the promoted SV Elversberg, is also expected to be in the first squad of Klopp, after he made his debut in the German top flight only a few weeks ago.
Goalkeeper question: Ter Stegen back?
The goalkeeper Oliver Baumann of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim is expected not to be part of the 40‑man roster. In an interview with the newspaper, Baumann confirmed that he had already been in contact with Klopp and would learn further details on Thursday. Instead of Baumann, Marc Andre Ter Stegen is expected to return, after his move from Barcelona to Ajax Amsterdam saw him feature regularly, but he was relegated to the bench shortly before the squad nomination.
Other candidates for the goalkeeper position are Jonas Urbig (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nübel (Beşiktaş Istanbul) and Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg). According to Sky Germany, Klopp plans to present a large squad selection, although the exact number has not yet been determined.
According to Beautiful Sports International Football, Kevin Schade (Brentford), Karim Adeyemi (impressed after a summer move to Barcelona in La Liga), Tom Bischof (Bayern Munich) and Yann Bisseck (Inter Milan) will also be called up to the squad. As the new era begins, many hope that Klopp will solve the ongoing problems that have already excluded the team early from World Cups.