Klopp Defends Germany’s 44-Man Squad Plan After Greece Defeat
Jürgen Klopp has stood firmly behind his 44-player double-squad experiment after Germany’s damaging defeat to Greece, insisting the selection plan was unavoidable despite leaving his side third in Group A2.
Germany have taken only one point from their first two matches, while Greece sit top with six from six. Klopp’s new regime now faces a rapid response: Serbia visit on October 1 before Germany travel to Greece three days later for an immediate rematch.
Klopp accepts blame after Greece defeat
- Klopp assembled two different squads, involving 44 players in total, as he began a wider reset of Germany’s squad and internal culture.
- Germany then struggled against Greece’s compact defensive approach, failing to turn encouraging spells into a commanding display or enough clear chances.
- After the final whistle, Klopp said criticism of the expanded selection was inevitable but stressed that he fully supported the decision.
- He confirmed that the players arriving next would train the following morning, acknowledging they were not yet fully coordinated either.
Klopp said the camp had otherwise gone extremely well, but admitted that a substantial part of the Greece performance fell below the required standard.
The Germany manager said his aim over the two-and-a-half-week period was to gather as much information as possible. He argued that simply recalling the same group from the World Cup might not have produced a significantly different outcome — and said that possibility would have been an even greater concern.
New faces remain central to Germany plan
Klopp believes the broad call-up gives Germany a faster route to assessing fresh options. He said the newcomers had not done much wrong and rejected the idea of singling out individuals after the loss.
He also recognised the challenge for established internationals playing alongside younger players in a newly assembled group. Klopp said he had seen positives, even though those moments did not add up to the dominant football he wanted.
The coach accepted complete responsibility for the tactical issues, including his starting XI, the balance of the team and his substitutions. He said Germany always faced the prospect of finding it difficult to dismantle a deep Greek block without key moments of fortune or exceptional individual quality in front of goal.
Klopp said he could have accepted a draw, or even failing to win, but losing the match was not acceptable. Germany now need a result against Serbia before returning to Greece on October 4, with their Group A2 campaign already under pressure.
