Jurgen Klopp has reduced his Germany project to a single sentence.
The head coach spoke on Wednesday at the adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, where the squad gathered for a send-off with the outgoing kit partner of more than 70 years before flying out to Serbia.
“We are trying to do what is expected of us: to build a team that nobody likes to play against,” Klopp told Sky Germany. “I have the feeling it is already going in the right direction.”
It is the clearest identity statement he has given since taking charge in August on a four-year contract that runs to 2030. He replaced Julian Nagelsmann, who stepped down after Germany’s round-of-32 exit on penalties to Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup in North America, a third straight early elimination from a major tournament.
Read also: Conor McGregor celebrates ‘I was right all along’ reaction after Khabib’s cousin attacks UFC star
Belgrade before the Berlin decider
Germany sit third in Nations League Group A2 with five points, three adrift of both the Netherlands and Greece on eight. Klopp’s first four matches in the job brought a single win, a 2-0 home result over the same Serbia side they now face away, a 1-1 draw against the Dutch and two stalemates with Greece. The margin for error over the final two matchdays is thin.
Klopp’s squad travels to the Rajko Mitić Stadium on Friday, November 13, for a 7:45pm local time kick-off against pointless Serbia, with the venue closed to spectators under a UEFA sanction against the hosts. On Monday, November 16, Germany host the Netherlands at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, the match Klopp himself described as the group’s “final” if his players do the job in Belgrade.
Not short of self-belief
Age came into Klopp’s answer when he was asked about external pressure.
“I don’t feel any pressure. I’ve known myself for 59 years and have always tried to do my best,” he told Sky Germany. “You can’t do more than that. I don’t doubt myself.”
Read also: Chelsea owner breaks silence on Xabi Alonso’s future after shock Sunderland defeat
He added that his fan base appeared to have grown since taking the job: elderly women, he said, were wishing him luck at the pharmacy, people he had not expected to recognise him.
The squad for the double header already carries Klopp’s print. Werder Bremen striker Niclas Füllkrug returns for the first time since September 2025 after scoring nine Bundesliga goals in eight appearances this season, and 17-year-old Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Wael Mohya earns a maiden senior call-up. Ajax goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen remains Klopp’s clear first choice between the posts after a rotation of three keepers in the October international window.
Kick-off at the Rajko Mitić Stadium is at 7:45pm local time on Friday, November 13.
Read also: Apple TV makes big Formula 1 announcement ahead of Las Vegas Grand Prix
