Jürgen Klopp: Florian Wirtz Can Be Brilliant With Us

Following the latest squad announcement, Germany national team head coach Jürgen Klopp held a press conference. This article is the fifth part of that press conference.

You called up two young players from FC Bayern Munich: Tom Bischoff and Lennart Kail. What particular qualities do you like about them? How did you perceive their personalities during your one-on-one conversations?

During the conversation, both came across as very confident and likable. For Lennart, this was the first time I met him in person—I shook his hand and hugged him. I thought in that moment: this young man is ready. He's a real physical demon! His confidence is lovely, combined with drive and a bit of power, which I really like. In football, you can't be too reserved. He had an incredible run of performances before his injury, and while the timing of the injury was unfortunate, everyone saw his talent.

As for Tom Bischoff, he has many qualities that top midfielders need—like those two excellent long-range finishes against Freiburg, one with his left foot and one with his right. Not many players in the world can produce that kind of quality. Tom is a very refined footballer with high tactical intelligence, and he's also a really good person. Tom is also the U21 captain, and after consulting with Vincent Kompany, we arranged for him to play with the U21 team in the first week and then join our senior national team in the second week. Both are excellent footballers and outstanding young men.

Mr. Klopp, squad announcements bring both good news and challenges. This squad is quite large, which brings positive news to many players, but some players who participated in the World Cup weren't selected this time. How have you handled these communications? For example, with Oliver Baumann? And one more question about U21 striker Nicola Tressoldi—other national football associations are trying to recruit him. What's his situation?

These two questions aren't related at all, right? Thank you for asking! If I answer the first and forget the second, please remind me.Regarding communication, I've tried hard to handle it well. When you don't know a player and the first call is to deliver bad news about not being selected, of course it's not a pleasant experience. But all the players showed great respect. No one was rude or questioned me over the phone. This isn't a final decision for anyone.

Take Oliver Baumann, for example. As an experienced goalkeeper, I chose M. ter Stegen and then wanted to bring in the next generation of talented goalkeepers. That was my decision. I understand Oliver's disappointment at not being selected this summer, but Marc has been on the bench for major tournaments many times before. Oliver is an excellent goalkeeper with a great career ahead of him, and he can play for many more years. For now, this is my decision, and players must accept it—which they understand and do.

For players who needed feedback, I gave clear reasons as well. Leroy Sané hasn't found his best form this season, and I'll talk to him later. L. Goretzka is injured right now, so there's no need for an unnecessary call while he's recovering. I also spoke with Denis Undav, who's had some issues this season, and I selected four other strikers for this call instead. Jamal Musiala had an injury during the World Cup, and he understands. I told them clearly that not being selected isn't due to my personal preference but purely competitive reasons.

Of course, calling players who were selected is much more pleasant! Konateé laughed the longest and was the happiest. He laughed for a full two minutes when he heard it was me calling! His voice was very loud. Mika Baur, Felix Keidel, and Hannes Behrens were also very surprised.

Regarding Nicola Tressoldi, there's been no final decision yet. Not including him in this squad doesn't mean he's rejecting Germany or choosing Italy. For young players facing a choice between two nationalities, it's an extremely difficult situation. We don't want to pressure the youth, but we hope to show them clear development opportunities. If he needs more time to think and decide, that's a perfectly valid reason.

Regarding Florian Wirtz: a player with individual skill on the team wasn't able to perform to full expectations during the World Cup. Do you have any special expectations for Florian Wirtz? He's a star who can undoubtedly change the course of a game. He mentioned he didn't know you before. How has your interaction with him been this time?

The communication has been smooth and very pleasant. It's natural that Florian doesn't know me. I haven't been in Germany for 11 years, and he was only 12 or 13 back then. Now we've gotten to know each other, and the first steps have already begun.For a top striker like Flo, we need to be clear that his running distance at Liverpool FC is the highest on the team, and his attitude in games is extremely professional.

We must avoid the idea of relying on individual stars to shine alone. The collective teamwork has to function. When the team works smoothly, individuals can shine brilliantly. We want Florian to feel comfortable in the national team, help him adapt to our tactical requirements, and redirect outside attention from high transfer fees toward the right approach. Here with us, he just needs to be brilliant Florian Wirtz.

Additionally, we hope to add value for the clubs. For example, Serge Gnabry, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Jamal Musiala—I could send them home after one week, but they will play important roles in the national team in the future. We want them to maintain intense training and competitive levels with the national team so they return to their clubs in the best condition when the league resumes. The same applies to Florian Wirtz. Even if he doesn't score or assist in a match, as long as he makes an important contribution to the team, that's a successful performance.

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