Füllkrug back in Germany squad after 18 months, picked for Klopp's Nations League games

An 18-month gap closed by goals

Niclas Füllkrug is back in the Germany squad about 18 months after his last international appearance, and Jürgen Klopp picked him for the Nations League matches. The 33-year-old has 14 goals in 24 caps for Germany. He had last been in the squad in September 2025. After a spell at West Ham United and AC Milan, where he scored once in 29 matches, he returned to Werder Bremen on loan over the summer and has since become one of the Bundesliga's leading scorers. Werder sit sixth after nine league matches with 15 points, and Füllkrug is one of their leaders.

Niclas Füllkrug9

Patrik Schick8

Younes Ebnoutalib6

Niclas Füllkrug

9 goals

Patrik Schick

8 goals

Younes Ebnoutalib

6 goals

Data from the article text

A nomination he did not want to discuss on the pitch

On Saturday, 7 November, Werder lost 1-0 at VfB Stuttgart. Afterwards ZDF reporter Florian Zschiedrich asked Füllkrug about his nomination, but Füllkrug did not want to discuss it. Zschiedrich pressed him twice more, and the interview ended abruptly. Füllkrug said the defeat was still on his mind.

“A bit of respect. We have just lost a game. That is not in my head right now.”

Bremen coach Daniel Thioune said the disappointment over the defeat had been bigger than the joy of the national call-up, and he showed understanding for Füllkrug. On Tuesday, 10 November, Füllkrug gave a press conference at the adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach and answered questions for half an hour.

Klopp, age and the European Championship

Füllkrug said Klopp had called him before the nomination, which he welcomed because the interview requests had become hard to handle. He praised the coach at the press conference.

“I think he is one of the greatest personalities we have in German football.”

Klopp had said in October on Dazn that Füllkrug was 33 and that this was not his fault. Füllkrug answered that his age was simply a fact and said he had felt not attacked at all by the remark. He pointed to his childhood idol Miroslav Klose, who won the World Cup at 36 and played until 38. Asked about the 2028 European Championship, when he would be 35, he said he did not look that far ahead at all. Focus noted that Deniz Undav, who had not expected a call from the new coach, was left out of the squad.

Fixtures and the scoring race

Germany play Serbia away on Friday, 13 November, with kick-off at 20:45 on RTL. The Netherlands follow three days later in Berlin. Füllkrug has nine Bundesliga goals, ahead of Patrik Schick on eight and Younes Ebnoutalib on six. Die Welt counts 11 goals across competitions this season, while Focus puts his recent tally at 12 goals in 11 matches, so the two figures differ by source. Klopp has said that good form and goals are never a bad reason for a call-up.