Jürgen Klopp names 44-man Germany squad and calls for positive patriotism

A 44-man split roster

Jürgen Klopp presented his first squad since taking charge of the German national team in July. To handle four Nations League fixtures scheduled across two weeks, the 59-year-old manager selected 44 players divided into two distinct groups, despite official matchday rosters being restricted to 23 players. A 24-player group will contest the opening match against the Netherlands on 24 September followed by a home fixture against Greece. A second group of 20 players will handle October fixtures hosting Serbia and visiting Greece. Goalkeeper Finn Dahmen is the only player included across both squads. Core players such as Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz are restricted to a maximum of two matches to manage workloads during the congested schedule.

Squad turnover and debutants

The selection introduces 16 uncapped players alongside 16 veterans who featured at the World Cup, testing five goalkeepers in total. New call-ups include Hennes Behrens of FC Augsburg, Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu, Yannik Engelhardt, and Derry Scherhant of Freiburg, Bambasé Conté of Hoffenheim, Younes Ebnoutalib of Eintracht Frankfurt, Finn Jeltsch of Stuttgart, Felix Keidel of Elversberg, Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt, and Celtic winger Mika Baur. Captain Joshua Kimmich remains in the squad, and Barcelona forward Karim Adeyemi returns after an 11-month absence. Ajax goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen becomes the primary starter following Manuel Neuer's international retirement, alongside the retirement of Antonio Rüdiger. Klopp left out several established players, including Leroy Sané, Deniz Undav, Leon Goretzka, Pascal Groß, Oliver Baumann, Angelo Stiller, and Jamie Leweling.

Total squad44

September group24

October group20

Uncapped players16

World Cup veterans16

Total squad

44 players

September group

24 players

October group

20 players

Uncapped players

16 players

World Cup veterans

16 players

Data from the article text

Reclaiming national symbols

During the press conference at the German Football Association headquarters in Frankfurt, Klopp addressed domestic political developments following the 6 September state election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the Alternative for Germany (AfD) won nearly 44% of the vote. Ahead of regional elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Klopp wore a cap featuring German flag colors and called for an inclusive civic pride, seeking to separate national symbols from extremist political movements.

“I don't want to leave national pride to the wrong people.”

Klopp advocated for what he described as positive patriotism, arguing that citizens should feel comfortable displaying the national flag. He pointed to the diversity within his squad, where 18 of the 44 players were born abroad or hold foreign heritage, as an example of unity.

“Can you be proud to be German and still be open, diverse, nice and friendly - can you still show compassion? I am 100 percent certain: Yes!”

Political and sporting reactions

Franziska Hoppermann, secretary general of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union, supported Klopp's position on national pride and public symbols. An AfD spokesperson announced that the party would issue a response to the remarks.

“We all should, and are allowed to, wear our national colours with pride and confidence as symbols of our freedom.”

International media reacted with surprise to the 44-man roster format. Spanish outlets Marca and Mundo Deportivo described the split selection as a tactical overhaul, British publications questioned the exclusion of established scorers, and Dutch outlets noted the upcoming tactical contest between Klopp and Netherlands manager Xavi Hernández on 24 September.