Klopp starts Germany era with expectations under control

Jurgen Klopp has refused to promise silverware as he prepares to take charge of Germany for the first time against the Netherlands in the Nations League.

Klopp has signed a four-year contract after replacing Julian Nagelsmann, with the agreement set to take him through the 2028 European Championship and the World Cup two years later. Germany have not won an international trophy since their 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil and have failed to progress beyond the last 32 at each of the past three World Cups.

Asked about his earlier comments at Liverpool that he would probably have won a title if he remained in the job for four years, Klopp struck a cautious tone.

“I don't want to promise anything,” Klopp told a press conference. “What I can say is we will try and that's what it is about now.”

The former Liverpool manager said Germany must address perceptions that the national team has less quality than its major rivals. His response, he explained, would be to improve the team’s preparation rather than make predictions about future trophies.

“We need to train better, train differently,” Klopp said. “But I firmly believe that it is always possible to improve training.”

A major rebuild begins against the Netherlands

Klopp selected two separate squads for Germany’s Nations League fixtures against the Netherlands, Serbia and Greece, naming 44 players in total, including 16 uncapped players. He said his immediate responsibility was to make Germany competitive in every match.

“I am in charge of the senior team and my task is to take the football there so that we are in with a chance to win every game we play,” he said. “It won't work every day, but we are working at it.”

The Netherlands represent a demanding first test. Germany beat their neighbours 1-0 in October 2024 through Jamie Leweling’s 64th-minute goal and are unbeaten in the teams’ last three meetings, with two wins and a draw. Klopp, however, said his lack of personal experience of the rivalry meant the recent record carried little significance for him.

He acknowledged the Netherlands’ depth of talent and called for Germany to approach the match like a derby, while insisting that the game marks only the beginning of a longer project.

“For us, it's the beginning of something. We want to get off to a good start,” Klopp said.