Klopp starts Germany reign with two squads, 44 players and a call for unity
Jurgen Klopp has started life as Germany head coach by naming two almost entirely different squads for his first four games.
The 59-year-old spoke at his first news conference this week ahead of a packed international break. His message was simple. Germany's mission is to create a good atmosphere, on the pitch and around it BBC.
The football plan is bold. Klopp has picked 44 players across two squads to cover four Nations League fixtures, UEFA's biennial tournament for national teams Reuters.
The first group features the big names. Joshua Kimmich, Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala travel to face the Netherlands at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Thursday at 19:45 BST, then host Greece on Sunday.
The second group takes over for the second half of the break. Florian Wirtz and Aleksandar Pavlovic are in that squad, which faces Serbia at home and Greece away.
Only one man made both lists. Back-up goalkeeper Finn Dahmen is the single player selected for both squads.
Klopp said he drew up a long list of 57 players who could have made this break. He had promised in July that players would get chances who do not even expect it yet. He has kept that word.
Felix Keidel is one of the fresh faces. The 23-year-old can play at full-back, defending wide on the flank, or step into midfield. He joins from SV Elversberg, newly promoted to the top flight.
He is not alone. Mika Baur, Bambase Conte, Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu and Vitaly Janelt have all been given a chance.
What makes this stand out is the scale. Four games. Two teams. One debut international window. For fans, this means new shirts to learn and new stories to follow, fast.
Klopp also used the news conference to talk about the country, not just the team. He called for "positive patriotism" and said he would like to reclaim the German flag, so waving it is understood as happiness about living in Germany rather than prompting suspicion.
He pointed to other sports for inspiration. He cited Alexander Zverev's success at the US Open, the women's basketball team at the European Championship and German athletes at the European Athletics Championships as examples of sport bringing people together.
Those remarks followed recent state election wins for Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Klopp was announced as Germany coach in July. The former Liverpool boss took over from Julian Nagelsmann on 15 August 2026, after Nagelsmann stepped down on 3 July following the World Cup exit. Germany's football association hired Klopp on an annual salary of £6m.
His home debut will come in Augsburg, when Germany host Greece in the Nations League on 27 September.
He finished with a personal plea. He urged the media to treat him fairly and to leave his family alone.
