Klopp surprises with Mika Baur – from second‑division to national team
When Mika Baur received Jürgen Klopp's call in recent days, he first had to shake the phone – a surprising call that catapulted the 22‑year‑old midfielder from the Scottish club Celtic Glasgow straight into the German national team and thus marked his debut in international football.
Klopp stated plainly that he selected Baur not because of his previous clubs, but because of his excellent passing and creativity. “He told me: ‘I wasn’t even a regular in the U21.’ I replied: ‘You’re lucky, I’m not a federation coach and I believe you don’t have to go through every level.’” – Jürgen Klopp. The decision is considered Klopp’s biggest squad surprise, and the team benefits from a player that hardly anyone expected.
Mika is the son of former handball national player and coach Markus Baur, who is regarded as one of the best German handballers. The 55‑year‑old father, a European champion in 2004 and world champion in 2007, earned 228 caps and was named Handballer of the Year in 2000 and 2002. Mika grew up in Baden‑Württemberg, completed his youth training at VfB Stuttgart and moved to SC Freiburg in 2018, where he made the jump to the professional squad under Christian Streich.
After a short spell at SC Freiburg, Baur moved in 2024 to the Second League with SC Paderborn. There he initially did not secure a regular spot, so he was loaned to Dynamo Dresden in January 2025. In the 25/26 season, under SC coach Ralf Kettemann, he became a regular, scored four goals and provided eight assists, which enabled Paderborn to achieve promotion to the Bundesliga.
The move to Celtic Glasgow
The Scottish champion Celtic from Scotland showed interest and lured Baur with the prospect of the Champions League. The 22‑year‑old accepted the offer, left Paderborn in the summer and brought the east‑Westphalian club roughly eight million euros.
The dream of the top tier, however, shattered when Celtic lost the second leg against Linzer ASK 1‑5 after a 3‑0 home win, thus exiting the Champions League. The club now competes in the Europa League, but Jürgen Klopp sees no obstacle for his selection.
Klopp has included Baur in his squad for matches three and four against Serbia and Greece. Some coaches in German football are astonished by the choice, but for Klopp the potential of the young midfielder matters more than conventional selection criteria.