Klopp begins as Germany coach: 44 called up for Nations League

Jurgen Klopp has named his first Germany squads for the UEFA Nations League, and Sky Sports reports that the selections already point to a clear reset. Ahead of the four matches versus the Netherlands, Serbia and Greece (two), Klopp called up 44 players split across two separate groups.

The list also includes several fresh faces. According to Sky Sports, 16 of the selected are yet to make an international appearance for Germany, including Said El Mala (Cologne), Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu and Derry Scherhant from Freiburg, as well as Celtic midfielder Mika Baur.

Klopp’s notable changes

There are also some high-profile omissions and role changes. Sky Sports says Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) was left out, with Klopp explaining it as a fitness-related decision.

Meanwhile, the captain’s position has shifted: as reported by Sky Sports, Joshua Kimmich will be used as a midfielder, having previously been deployed as a right-back under Julian Nagelsmann.

Klopp accompanied the announcement with a clear message about the mindset. “We need to rediscover the fun in all of this,” he said while unveiling the squads, according to Sky Sports.

The timing matters too: Nagelsmann resigned after Germany’s World Cup run ended at the round of 16 against Paraguay. Now Klopp’s first act as head coach starts with these two groups preparing for Nations League matches.