Jürgen Klopp’s first squad as Germany head coach immediately offered a glimpse into the scale of the rebuilding project facing the former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager. Announced on September 17, 2026, Klopp selected an extraordinary 44 players for Germany’s opening four UEFA Nations League fixtures, dividing them into two groups of 24 and 20. Getting the 1xBet app is extremely simple, and with it, you can also start wagering on all of Germany’s matches.
The sheer size of the selection was perhaps the most striking feature. Rather than immediately settling on a conventional 23-man squad, Klopp used the unusual international calendar to examine a much wider pool of talent. The first group was scheduled to face the Netherlands and Greece, while the second would take on Serbia and Greece. Klopp explained that the approach was designed to give him the opportunity to assess as many players as possible while managing the demanding schedule.
There were plenty of familiar names, including:
- Marc-André ter Stegen;
- Joshua Kimmich;
- Jamal Musiala;
- Kai Havertz;
- Serge Gnabry;
- Nico Schlotterbeck;
- and Florian Wirtz.
The best German footballers are also present at 1xBet, whose app you can get today. But Klopp’s list also contained a remarkable number of less established players. There were also first senior call-ups for players including Hennes Behrens, Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu, Yannik Engelhardt, Bambasé Conté and Younes Ebnoutalib.
Lots of young players
The selection of young talent was particularly notable. Finn Jeltsch, Mika Baur, Felix Keidel and Derry Scherhant were among the players receiving their first senior call-up. At the same time, Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof and several other youngsters were given opportunities to stake their claim. In total, there were 16 uncapped players across Klopp’s two squads.
Klopp’s thinking was therefore about more than simply picking the strongest team available. He spoke about preparing players to compete “at the very top” over the next two or three years. This suggested that his first list was intended to establish the foundations of a new German side rather than merely solve short-term problems.
That makes Klopp’s first selection fascinating. It was unusually large, youth-oriented and experimental, combining established stars with a host of players who had barely featured on the international radar. Most importantly, it demonstrated that Klopp was prepared to cast a very wide net from the beginning. The first list was less a finished squad than a 44-player audition for the future of German football.
