National team leaves Baumann out, El Mala receives invitation
While goalkeeper Oliver Baumann does not receive an invitation to the national team from Jürgen Klopp, Cologne striker Saïd El Mala is nominated for the upcoming Nations League matches. The new national team coach leaves the Hoffenheim keeper out, but gives the young attacker a chance under his guidance.
Baumann's Absence from the Squad
In the World Cup qualification Baumann was still the number one, but at the World Cup he had to settle for a reserve role behind Manuel Neuer. Under Jürgen Klopp the Hoffenheim keeper is apparently left out, as the ""‑Zeitung reports, which talks about a missing national team nomination. The upcoming Nations League matches do not receive an invitation for the TSG‑1899‑Hoffenheim goalkeeper.
“Yes, I had contact with him (Klopp). He will say the rest on Thursday,” Baumann said, as the newspaper quoted. He added: “He should do that then.” The coach will announce his squad on Thursday at 10.00.
It is expected that Marc‑André ter Stegen will return to the goal under Klopp, after his move from Barcelona to Ajax Amsterdam has seen him play regularly again. Behind him, the keepers Jonas Urbig (Bayern München), Alexander Nübel (Besiktas Istanbul) and Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg) can also have hopes.
El Mala's Chance with the National Team Coach
Cologne striker Saïd El Mala receives an invitation for his debut under Jürgen Klopp. According to ‑Informationen the youngster is nominated, even though he was already in the squad under Julian Nagelsmann in November 2025 and was dropped again after the first match against Luxembourg. He was not part of the squad at the World Cup.
The football‑Nationalmannschaft will play the first Nations‑League matches under Klopp in the Netherlands on 24 September, against Greece on 27 September, against Serbia on 1 October and in Greece on 4 October. Fu stands here for football. The matches mark the start of Klopp’s rebuild.
The contrast between Baumann's absence and El Mala's invitation highlights that the rebuild of the national team under Jürgen Klopp heavily relies on new options and pushes established goalkeepers into the background. The final squad will be published on Thursday.