In an interview with Bild, Rudi Völler, the sporting director of the German Football Federation, discussed new German head coach Klopp's debut as well as German international players such as Wirtz.

If you had to rate Klopp's debut as German national team coach, what score would you give him?

Good. We secured important points in the Netherlands, which is a good start.

If Rudi Völler had been in that situation before the 1-0 score, would he have kicked the ball out of play earlier?

No. In my opinion, the match should only be stopped if there's a head injury.

Before the national team match, Klopp spoke to the team for the first time. How do you feel about that?

Julian spoke very sincerely, positively, and with tremendous energy. Sometimes you even wonder where he gets so much energy from. It's truly impressive. He has the ability to win people over to his side. For a coach, alongside professional ability, this is one of the most important skills.

But we also have to be patient with him and his team. Of course, it would be better if everything worked out right away. But if certain matches don't go the way we all hope, we have to continue trusting in the path he has chosen and in the team's development.

It's also good to win now, to give everyone hope again. However, we also won 11 consecutive matches under Julian before the World Cup. The truly crucial part is always the major tournament itself. In two years' time, the European Championship will be the test for everyone again.

You mentioned his energy, which is also visible in training. How much impact do you think it has during training sessions?

Exactly the same. I was a coach myself, so I observe carefully and want to know how he and his coaching staff work together and what kind of football he wants his team to play.

Even in training, you can feel Julian's energy. I've experienced a similar situation before; Christoph Daum was very similar to him in that regard.

There was also a generally positive atmosphere during Nagelsmann's tenure. It's just unfortunate that this atmosphere unfortunately changed somewhat later on.

Do you still stay in touch with Nagelsmann?

We speak on the phone several times. Julian will rest and recharge. Then he'll soon be coaching a top team again, I have no doubt about that. He's an outstanding coach.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß once called the large number of family members present during the World Cup a "corporate event." Looking back now, as sporting director, should you have intervened more at that time?

I understand what Uli meant. If I were an outsider, I might say the same thing. But it should be said that we didn't fail on penalties against Paraguay because of this. Other football federations handle family matters in a similar way. Some countries even allow their players two days off during the tournament to visit New York.

Our problem was the impact of those images, such as families stepping off the chartered team plane at the airport. After the first or second match, I thought that if the team played poorly on the pitch, these images could ultimately harm us. I didn't like it, but at that small airport, there was no better solution.

Will the 2024 European Championship feel less like a "corporate event"?

It was never a "corporate event" in the first place, but the overall situation will indeed be different then because the distances between venues will be shorter. Many family members might only fly in for a short time and then leave quickly.

Klopp has implemented some new rules: greater emphasis on punctuality, less mobile phone use within the team. Is management stricter at the hotel now?

Of course, there were also rules during Julian's tenure. Indeed, some adjustments have been made now. Every coach has his own ideas. Discipline has always been the foundation of team sports. But ultimately, what matters most is how these things are reflected on the pitch: crosses still have to reach the front of goal, not behind it.

What previous interactions have you had with Klopp?

I once wanted to bring Julian to coach Leverkusen — that was in 2008, when he moved from Mainz to Dortmund. But who didn't want him back then? Later, when I was still at Leverkusen, he tried to bring Karim Bellarabi to Liverpool. We spoke on the phone at that time. We've always had some interaction.

The German Football Federation also considered inviting him in 2022, if Löw had finished his contract...

When Löw left early in 2021, Julian still had a contract with Liverpool. These things are always about timing. I think that over the past several years, the German Football Federation must have considered him for the national team coaching position more than once.

Liverpool star Wirtz has faced criticism in England. What's your assessment of him?

He's been there for a year now, and criticism from the English media is naturally somewhat harsher. What I see is a player who is trying his very best to show his extraordinary abilities on the English stage. He's a very young player, he's world-class. I know that for the German national team, he will be a very important and central player, and for several major tournaments to come as well. He and Jamal (Musiala) are our future. Yes, France and Spain have strong squads. But I know: we are stronger than what we have recently shown.

Sane and Undav are not in the current World Cup squad. Have you spoken with them?

No. That's professional football; sometimes you don't get selected for the national team, and at that point, you have to move on and prove yourself. The current squad isn't final either. November is key, and then we'll see Julian's more streamlined squad; there won't be 44 players called up again.

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