Klopp backs German talent Explains Germany's tactics

Oct 1

Jürgen Klopp says he had not expected this group to play such football after only a week. Rejecting earlier claims that German football lacked talent, he says the 44 players he worked with over two weeks lack many things but certainly not talent, and want to work hard and succeed. He says Germany has found a path it must follow consistently: tactics can help beat opponents even when the team is not better than them. He praises the Serbia performance, challenges dismissals of the opposition as small, and says Germany scored twice and could have scored more. Turning to Greece, he says there were further opportunities, declines to label the side big or small, but judges it unlikely to become world champions while saying he means no offense. He concludes that Germany has taken a first step.

Tagesthemen reports Germany beating Serbia 2–0 in Munich in the Nations League, Jürgen Klopp's first victory in his third match as national coach. Bernd Schmelzer describes energetic, dominant play and repeated missed opportunities against deep-defending Serbia, whose chance to take the lead misses narrowly. Gnabry starts as captain. Bischof scores his first international goal six minutes before half-time after Wirtz's move, in front of his home Munich crowd. Substitutes El Mala and Woltemade miss chances before Wirtz makes it 2–0 around the hour. The reporter calls Germany's first half its best under the new coach and sees the win as encouragement; these assessments remain his. Tagesschau's October 2 follow-up reports five international debutants in a changed starting eleven and carries Klopp, Bischof and Wirtz on the team's energy and the Munich crowd. Klopp declines to join criticism of captain Kimmich. The next match against Greece is a preview, not another result. In the October 4 SID press-conference excerpt, Klopp retrospectively praises the Serbia performance, challenges criticism that it was only a small opponent, and says Germany outplayed Serbia, scored twice and could have scored more. This is a later assessment of the October 1 victory, not a new match result.