Germany head coach Jurgen Klopp has explained the reasoning behind recalling Bundesliga top scorer Niclas Fullkrug while omitting Juventus loanee Nick Woltemade. Klopp pointed to Fullkrug's clinical goalscoring threat while reassuring Woltemade that his international career remains well on track.
Klopp makes big call in Germany attack
Germany head coach Jurgen Klopp has detailed his selection choices after streamlining his squad to 24 players for upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Serbia and the Netherlands. Werder Bremen forward Niclas Fullkrug returns to the national setup, while striker Nick Woltemade misses out.
Fullkrug earns his recall after scoring nine goals in eight games on loan from West Ham United to lead the Bundesliga scoring charts.
Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Wael Mohya also earned his first senior call-up, but the headline debate centered on Klopp's attacking hierarchy.
Fullkrug form and experience made selection easy
Speaking to DFB.TV, Klopp revealed that Fullkrug's spectacular goals and leadership made his inclusion a straightforward choice. "Good form and scoring goals is never a bad thing. Fulle has performed throughout this time and scored various, almost all spectacular, goals," Klopp stated.
"Werder Bremen has an unbelievable influence on the game through him, not just through his goals, but also through the way he performs."
"The experience he brings totally helps. Under that aspect, the nomination was relatively easy. It was a pleasure to make the decision and a pleasure to tell him," the manager added.
Door remains wide open for Juventus loanee Woltemade
Addressing Woltemade's omission, Klopp insisted the forward—currently on loan at Juventus from Newcastle United—remains in his long-term plans despite lacking a sharp finishing edge recently. "For goodness' sake, we would be crazy to close the doors. These are all great footballers. We are making decisions at the highest level," Klopp explained.
"We have of course also spoken with Nick. And Nick, to be honest, is having a rather good phase at Juve. A lot of things are coming back. He didn't have an easy time after the move to Newcastle. That is a different kind of football."
"Nick is on a good path and there too we are in talks. At the moment, absolute goal threat is lacking a bit. But game development, continuation of play, and so on are all there. That's why no door is closed there," the head coach noted.
Goalscoring threat dictated final squad choices
Klopp emphasized that pure clinical edge in front of goal was the ultimate deciding factor when picking his forwards for this window. "When such decisions are up, sometimes pure threat in front of goal simply beats everything else. And that's why we decided on the boys who are in the squad now," Klopp concluded.
The squad will gather at adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach on Monday before travelling to Belgrade to face Serbia on Friday, 13 November.
Germany will then return home to host group leaders the Netherlands at Berlin's Olympiastadion on Monday, 16 November, aiming to climb from their current total of four points in the group.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
