Jürgen Klopp and the new era of the national team

When the German national soccer team was eliminated against Paraguay in the round of 16 of the World Cup, they didn't just play badly. She made her audience feel like there was a coach who didn't know who should play and a team that didn't know how to play. And because the coach and team didn't seem to know this, the national team not only played poorly, but also didn't broadcast anything. She had no vibe.

The World Cup revealed that German football lacked good answers to important questions. The day after the game against Paraguay, Bernd Neuendorf, the President of the German Football Association, said that his association “cannot simply move on to the agenda” and instead had to “talk about” what the reasons were. With the quick signing of Jürgen Klopp, a new agenda arrived because in the public discussion the answer to every question was suddenly Jürgen Klopp.

Joke at the captain's expense

Klopp, who understands football, immediately understood that it is more important for an association team than for a club team to have a vibe because, although they have a larger audience, they also have to show more to win the favor of that audience. He shows it in his own way, with his gestures and facial expressions, with his jokes and jokes, some even at the expense of his captain. You don't have to feel that Klopp vibe because you can see the staging of authenticity in him. But there are plenty of people who do that anyway.

And the football coach Klopp? He said when introducing his squad for the first four games: "It's not important who plays, but how you play." In the third and especially in the fourth game it became clear what the how can look like. If his team continues to build on the counter-pressing they played in Greece on Sunday, something can happen.

But club coach Klopp learned something in Liverpool that association coach Klopp shouldn't forget. It's important who plays, because some special moments can't happen otherwise. And so one of the key questions will be whether his special players can play the way he wants.

When the national team next meets in November, Klopp will reduce his squad from 44 to around 24 players. And the next time he speaks, he will not only be able to make jokes and jokes, but will also have to announce decisions. For example, are the over-30 players Jonathan Tah and Serge Gnabry even better than their challengers? Even if they are better, do they better suit the type of football he wants to play? And what about the captain, what about Joshua Kimmich?