Klopp was interviewed on his first day as the official head coach of the German national team, candidly sharing his feelings after his inaugural press conference, his thoughts on working with clubs, and his response to false media reports.

When asked if there was a moment when he truly realized he was now the national team coach, Klopp said: "Yes, but more than one. To be honest, there are many things you've never experienced before, and you only know what they feel like when you reach that moment. The official start was on the 15th, but unofficially we started much earlier. I even sent social media messages to friends using the group name 'National Team Coach Club,' which might sound a bit strange, but I think it's quite fitting. As you can see, I am now a proud employee of the DFB (German Football Association), and it feels cool. But there's no money on my ID card yet, so if I want to eat today, I'll have to pay for it myself because there's no money on it yet. But this ID card can open many doors."
Regarding his adaptation from club coach to national team coach, Klopp said: "At Liverpool, I started with the season, without much time to get to know the players, but I was with them every day, so I could get an initial impression within a week and a complete understanding after four or five weeks. Now I have to be faster. So I plan to visit some clubs and talk to the players before the official start of the season. But it's impossible to talk to everyone. There are some players whose personalities I don't yet know, and this is important information for me, such as what they play for, where they come from, and where they want to go. Fortunately, this is not a short-term project, but a plan spanning several years, and we are just getting started."
Speaking about his meeting with the U19, U20, and U21 youth team coaches, Klopp said: "This meeting was very important. I've known Hannes Wolf (U20 head coach and head of academy) for a long time, and we had also spoken on the phone before. My philosophy regarding youth team coaches is this: we train German players together, just in different age groups, which makes no difference to me. At the club, if a 17-year-old player was ready, I didn't care whether he was recommended by the U17 or U18 coach; I would use him if he was suitable. The DFB's youth development philosophy is excellent. It takes a lot of courage for Wolf to implement reforms, because traditions are deeply ingrained in football. Everyone demands change, but when someone actually tries to change things, they encounter resistance. I am 100% convinced by the path we are on now. We need to train coaches and help everyone coaching on the sidelines, thereby helping the players. The DFB cannot personally train every player; we can only spread good ideas, show the direction, and consistently follow it."
Addressing media reports about him recommending clubs to players on his first day in office, Klopp clarified directly: "After my first press conference, some media outlets used 'media criticism' as a headline, and that's my fault. After I left Liverpool in 2024, tabloid media followed us like flies, and we had to use every means to protect our normal lives. I don't want to go through that again; I won't put my family in that situation a second time. The second point I made was that I'm not doing this for myself, nor just for others, but for all of us. If most people think I should stop, then I will stop; no one needs to force me. But in this social media era, many things I never said are attributed to me, and many news reports about me are simply untrue. What infuriates me the most is that some people actually think I'm stupid enough that the first thing I would do after taking office is call a player and say, 'Going to Dortmund is good for you.' Of course, I never did that; that's not my job. I haven't even started working with the players yet. In the future, if players ask me for advice, I will give advice based purely on the player's interests, not influenced by which club I used to work for. As for the rumored player (Sayyid El-Marala), he must be a nice guy, but we never even talked. AI technology is so realistic now that sometimes when I see a picture of myself somewhere I don't even know, I start to doubt myself. But please rest assured, I will never use my position as national team coach to transfer players to any club."
Klopp is eagerly anticipating the upcoming national team matchdays, especially the atmosphere created by fans in the standing areas: "My timing couldn't be better; it's fantastic. Whatever we achieve on the pitch, if the fans aren't interested, there's no point. The same applies to the national team. I want to create an extraordinary stadium atmosphere. I know the quality of the game is a key factor, and we're working on it. But it's also great if the fans are already passionate when they enter the stadium. We all know that many of the most passionate fans watch the game standing, which might be part of their attitude towards life. This is where the vitality of German football comes from, and I'm very much looking forward to it. We will be completely open and invite everyone to embark on this special journey with us. I hope fans at home games will cheer every successful tackle just as they celebrate goals. That's at least a good start."
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Allemagne
Jürgen Klopp
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