Bayern Munich legend Sepp Maier spoke to Münchner Abendzeitung about Klopp's start as Germany manager and the goalkeeper competition between Marc-André ter Stegen, Urbig, and Nübel. Regarding Urbig, who is expected to make his Germany debut, Maier believes expectations around him are rising too quickly.

Germany drew 1-1 with the Netherlands and then lost 0-1 to Greece. How do you assess Klopp's first two matches?

Of course, everyone hoped for a different start. A draw and a defeat are not the results Germany wanted. However, it would be wrong to dismiss everything as worthless right now. You can see what Klopp wants: speed, passion, attacking football. But many parts of the team are still not functioning properly. If everything ran smoothly in such a short time, that would be surprising. Klopp is not a magician. He needs time. The key is to make this team united again and give it the feeling that something is developing.

Marc-André ter Stegen was particularly impressive in Klopp's first match. He made some excellent saves, but his passing with his feet was sometimes very risky. What do you think of his performance in that match?

Yes, there were shots he had to save, and he saved them brilliantly, which showed Marc's ability. But he made a few back passes that made me think, "What is he doing here?" A goalkeeper has to know when to stop trying to play beautiful football. If it's risky, just clear the ball. Nobody will blame him for doing that now, but if he makes a passing mistake in front of goal, that's a different story.

Are you still surprised by Marc-André ter Stegen's performance after such a long absence?

Yes. I didn't expect him to play that well on the goal line after his return. He showed two or three excellent saves, and some of them were world-class. But there were other aspects to his game. He was sometimes too risky with his foot play. So in my opinion, his performance had both shining moments and clear weaknesses.

At one point, he passed the ball directly to an opponent and then made a direct save. Is this a typical goalkeeper scenario—setting the fire and then playing firefighter?

It's absolutely ridiculous. He sets the fire himself and then goes to put it out. (laughs) The save was excellent, but if he had handled the pass well beforehand, that save would never have been necessary. You can't call a bad pass good just because you later saved an almost impossible shot. Marc himself knows that this shouldn't happen to him.

Well, it was still a successful comeback then.

In terms of saves, yes. With his foot play, not always. (laughs) But we need to reconsider what the goalkeeper's real role is. His job is to stop shots, and Marc does that very well. Nevertheless, he shouldn't make those passing mistakes against strong teams. Soon the opponent will take advantage and punish him for it.

Ball-playing ability has been considered one of Marc-André ter Stegen's great strengths for years, but it looked shaky in this match. How can you explain that?

Lack of match rhythm is certainly one reason, but that excuse can't be used indefinitely. Marc is 34 and has experienced everything. You can't blame every passing mistake on lack of match rhythm. If you want to be Germany's number one goalkeeper, you have to be good at those passes. If you can't, don't play like Beckenbauer in your penalty area.

Since you mentioned it, let's talk about Bayern Munich goalkeeper Urbig. What do you think about the excessive hype surrounding him?

I think the hype around Urbig is a bit overblown. Not because I think the young player is bad. In fact, he's very talented. But everything is developing too quickly. He's had a few good matches, and now people want to make him Germany's new number one goalkeeper. Why? Let him become Bayern Munich's number one goalkeeper first.

So Urbig should stay behind Marc-André ter Stegen for now.

Of course, for now he should. What's wrong with that? He's only 23. Marc-André ter Stegen has been performing at the highest level for years, while Urbig hasn't even proven for a long time that he can be Bayern Munich's number one goalkeeper. Sometimes we praise young players more than what they've actually achieved at this stage.

Kompany believes Urbig can become Germany's number one goalkeeper in the future. Do you disagree?

In the future? Yes, maybe. He has potential. But there's a long road between "future" and "now." He has to play matches, gain experience, make mistakes, play in the Champions League, and prove he can bounce back after a bad game. You can't make someone Germany's goalkeeper based on predictions about the future.

What is Urbig most lacking?

Matches. Simple as that. These days people talk too much about potential, but potential won't stop shots for you on Saturday. Experience isn't gained in training, and it's not gained by everyone repeatedly telling you how great you'll be in the future. You have to stand in front of the goal and perform.

If a goalkeeper is only a backup at his club, can the national team make him their number one?

I don't think so in the long term. How would that even be possible? Germany's number one goalkeeper normally has to play for his club too. This position especially requires match rhythm. You can stop 100 shots in training, but playing in front of 70,000 spectators is completely different. Training is training, and matches are matches. That was true when I played, and it hasn't changed.

So do you think the goalkeeper position doesn't need to be discussed?

Not for me. Marc has proven he still has it. Let him play, let him perform, and let Urbig continue to develop. If Urbig ever becomes better than him, it won't be too late to make the switch then. But I wouldn't announce a changing of the guard at the goalkeeper position just because one is 23 and the other is 34. The decision shouldn't be based on birth dates but on who can stop the ball.

Looking back at the match against the Netherlands, do you think Germany needs to worry about the goalkeeper position?

No. If Marc-André ter Stegen saves shots like he did against the Netherlands, there's no need to worry. If he passes like he did at certain moments in that match, then maybe we should worry. (laughs) His performance surprised me. He was sometimes excellent on the goal line, but his ball-playing with his feet was inconsistent. He needs to fix those mistakes. But one thing he clearly proved is that it's too early to give up on Marc-André ter Stegen. After all, the position is still called goalkeeper.

Nübel got a chance to play against Greece. Germany lost 0-1, but he allowed few real chances and the goal wasn't his fault. What did you see in his performance?

Honestly, not much. How can you assess a goalkeeper who allowed few real chances? He couldn't do anything about the goal. It was a difficult match for Nübel to show himself. But what's more important is that Klopp showed trust in him and made it clear he's part of the team's plans. Nübel now knows he'll get opportunities, and Marc-André ter Stegen also knows he has a competitor behind him.

After the match against the Netherlands, Klopp said Marc-André ter Stegen is the number one goalkeeper. Do you still see him as number one after Nübel played, or do you see a genuine competition now?

I think as long as Marc-André ter Stegen is healthy and plays consistently, he's number one. But it's good that Nübel is pushing hard from behind. The number one goalkeeper needs trust, but that doesn't mean he's free from competition. If Marc makes mistakes or doesn't play, and Nübel performs well every week, there will soon be a discussion about the position. Football needs competition, and the goalkeeper position is no exception.

Looking back at the match against the Netherlands, do you think Germany needs to worry about the goalkeeper position?

No. If Marc-André ter Stegen saves shots like he did against the Netherlands, there's no need to worry. If he passes like he did at certain moments in that match, then maybe we should worry. (laughs) His performance surprised me. He was sometimes excellent on the goal line, but his ball-playing with his feet was inconsistent. He needs to fix those mistakes. But one thing he clearly proved is that it's too early to give up on Marc-André ter Stegen. After all, the position is still called goalkeeper.

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