Klopp names expansive 44-player Germany squad, blending youth and experience

Jürgen Klopp's first act as Germany's head coach was to cast a wide net. On Thursday, he announced a 44-player squad split across two groups for four matches stretching from late September into early October—a structure born from the unusual decision to merge the international breaks that normally fall in September and October into a single two-week window. The move allowed Klopp to see far more players than a traditional squad would permit, a deliberate choice that signaled his intent to evaluate talent broadly rather than settle quickly into familiar patterns.

The squad carried the weight of novelty. Eleven players earned their first call-up, among them Bambasé Conté from Hoffenheim, Stuttgart's Finn Jeltsch, Celtic's Mika Baur, and Freiburg's Derry Scherhant. The most striking surprise was Felix Keidel, a 23-year-old midfielder from Elversberg who had played just three Bundesliga matches. Keidel, capable of playing right back but primarily deployed as a holding midfielder since his small-town club won promotion to the top flight, represented the kind of calculated gamble Klopp seemed willing to take. Younes Ebnoutalib, Frankfurt's emerging forward, also made the cut, with Klopp describing him as a "huge talent" and expressing genuine delight at his inclusion. Said El Mala, the 20-year-old Cologne prospect who had been a surprise addition to the World Cup qualifying campaign in November 2025 but never took the field, was widely expected to become one of the defining faces of this new era.

Klopp's framing of the squad rejected the traditional hierarchy of A and B teams. "There is no A or B team," he said at the press conference. "The squads are put together in a way that makes sense on the pitch and in terms of character and experience." He emphasized that his selections were driven not by what Germany lacked but by what it possessed—a recognition, as he put it, of "how much football talent we have." The approach allowed for continuity where it mattered: Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, and Serge Gnabry were flagged as likely to remain for both weeks, while goalkeeper Finn Dahmen appeared in both squads as Klopp sought a closer look at his capabilities.

The return of Marc-André ter Stegen anchored the goalkeeping picture. The 33-year-old, now at Ajax after a lengthy injury absence, last represented Germany in the Nations League Finals the previous summer. Klopp named him the primary option, citing his experience, his comfort with the ball at his feet, and his shot-stopping ability. "Everything depends on performance," Klopp cautioned, a reminder that even established names would be held to account. Notable absences included Deniz Undav, Leroy Sane, and Oliver Baumann—decisions that would inevitably invite scrutiny.

Beyond the tactical and personnel matters, Klopp used his first press conference to address something larger. When asked about his role in German football, he spoke at length about what it means to represent the country in the modern political and social climate. "I would like to win back the flag," he said, explaining that he wanted Germany's national team to wave it in a way that prompted not suspicion but happiness—a signal of gratitude for the fortune of being born, raised, or having moved to "this wonderful country." He acknowledged that doctors, nurses, and workers across professions matter more than football, yet he argued that sport could "foster a sense of community that lets us truly feel the power of sports," citing recent successes in tennis and basketball as examples of what national pride could look like when untethered from the weight of history.

The schedule itself was unforgiving. Germany would open in Amsterdam against the Netherlands on September 24, then host Greece in Augsburg three days later. On October 1, they would travel to Munich to face Serbia before closing the window in Thessaloniki against Greece again on October 4. Four matches in twelve days, across two countries, with a squad designed not for immediate cohesion but for discovery. Klopp's task was to find not just players but the right players—and to do so while rebuilding something intangible about what it meant to wear the German shirt.