Jurgen Klopp takes charge of Germany for the first competitive time this week, and he has done something no recent national team manager has dared to try. He has picked two almost entirely separate squads for the four Nations League games in this window.
The first group, with Joshua Kimmich, Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala in it, faces the Netherlands at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Thursday before hosting Greece on Sunday. The second group, built around Florian Wirtz and Aleksandar Pavlovic, plays Serbia at home and then Greece away. Only one player appears in both: back-up goalkeeper Finn Dahmen.
A longlist of 57 names
Klopp was appointed in July and has spent the weeks since then in the stands. Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park one week, the VIP lounge at Mainz the next, then somewhere near Eintracht Frankfurt's training pitches. He drew up a list of 57 players he considered selectable for this break, which is a much wider net than his predecessors cast.
"Players will receive chances who don't even expect it yet," he said in July. He meant it. Felix Keidel, a 23-year-old full-back and midfielder hybrid at newly promoted SV Elversberg, is in. So are Mika Baur, Bambase Conte, Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu and Vitaly Janelt.
The kind of player Klopp has always liked
None of this is out of character. Klopp made a right-back out of an obscure Polish winger called Lukasz Piszczek at Dortmund and turned Andy Robertson from a Hull relegation casualty into one of the best left-backs in Europe. His record with overlooked players is better than his record with expensive ones.
There is a coaching problem to solve, though. Man-marking is common in the Bundesliga, while Klopp wants his sides swarming the man in possession to create overloads around the ball. Several of the newcomers will need to unlearn a habit quickly.
"It is not important who plays but how someone plays," he said last week. "I expect a lot from the beginning. It could be a bit wild, but I accept that. It just has to be lively."
A younger squad and a simpler plan
Both squads average between 24 and 25 years old. Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rudiger and Pascal Gross have all retired from international football, and several other players in their thirties may not get another call.
"I think it is about time to wish the new generation best of luck," Gross said after Brighton beat Arsenal on Saturday. "There's a change in Germany and rightfully so."
Tactically, expect less complication than under Julian Nagelsmann, who built intricate systems designed to cover up weaknesses. Klopp wants width and directness instead. Cologne's Said El Mala and Bayern's 18-year-old Lennart Karl will get chances out wide, with Derry Scherhant, Karim Adeyemi and Kevin Schade offering pace.
He has also been talking about the country rather than the football, calling for what he described as positive patriotism and wearing a cap reading "One of 83 million". On a salary of £6m a year, the German FA did not hire him to be a commentator. From Thursday, the job is judged on the pitch.
Fixture facts: Netherlands v Germany, Johan Cruyff Arena, Thursday 24 September, 19:45 BST, followed by Germany v Greece on Sunday. A second squad then faces Serbia at home and Greece away. Jurgen Klopp, 59, appointed Germany head coach in July 2026 on a reported salary of £6m a year. Squad average age 24-25. Finn Dahmen is the only player named in both groups.
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