Newly appointed Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp has named a massive 44-player squad featuring 16 potential debutants for his first set of fixtures in the UEFA Nations League, according to reports from outlets including n-tv.de. The radical overhaul follows Germany’s early exit from the World Cup and includes a unique job-sharing model that splits the roster across four matches in early autumn.
A Massive Roster and a Job-Sharing Experiment
Klopp revealed the expansive selection at the German Football Association (DFB) campus in Frankfurt, noting that his initial consideration list quickly topped 60 names before being trimmed to 44. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.), the head coach has structured the upcoming international window into two distinct squads to manage the heavy workload of four fixtures in less than two weeks.
The first roster group will prepare for matches against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 and Greece in Augsburg three days later. Following those fixtures, a significant player rotation will take place. A second group will then step in for encounters with Serbia in Munich on October 1 and a return fixture against Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4. Only a select group of players—including recently injured names like Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, and Serge Gnabry, alongside goalkeeper Finn Dahmen—are slated to remain with the national team camp for the entire duration.
High-Profile Omissions and Goalkeeping Changes
The sweeping changes led to the omission of several established names. According to n-tv.de, Klopp left out Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav, who scored nine goals in 13 international appearances, as well as winger Leroy Sané. Explaining his decision regarding Undav, Klopp stated that the forward has not yet found his rhythm in the current club season, leading the coach to select four other attacking options for the initial matches.
In goal, Marc-André ter Stegen returns as the number-one option for the first time in 15 months, following the international retirement of longtime starter Manuel Neuer. Klopp opted for a younger profile behind ter Stegen, selecting Oliver Baumann’s exclusion in favor of younger generational options like Jonas Urbig, Noah Atubolu, and Alexander Nübel, as reported by F.A.Z.
Retaining Leadership Amidst an Overhaul
Despite the influx of 16 uncapped players—including Freiburg’s Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu, Yannik Engelhardt, and Derry Scherhant, alongside Hoffenheim’s Bambasé Conté—stability remains in central leadership. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich will retain the team captaincy under Klopp. However, unlike his deployment as a right-back under predecessor Julian Nagelsmann, Kimmich will return to his central midfield role, mirroring his duties at FC Bayern Munich.
Klopp expressed enthusiasm for the challenge despite the limited preparation time, noting that the compressed schedule leaves room for only six full training sessions at the team base in Herzogenaurach. “I am used to having no time, that is completely normal in football,” Klopp said, as cited by F.A.Z.
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