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Germany are gearing up to launch a new era under the veteran Jürgen Klopp, who plays his first match against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League tomorrow, Thursday, 87 days after their exit from the World Cup.
Klopp arrived brimming with enthusiasm. Before travelling to Amsterdam, he toldreporters: "All the players have the desire, and so we feel a fresh start."
The former Liverpool manager sees no gentle introduction ahead: "In Amsterdam I haven't heard of many friendly matches (between the Netherlands and Germany). So it starts straight away."
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A daunting opener does not faze him. "I don't know who I would have preferred to play against," Klopp said. "(The Netherlands) are a very strong opponent, with a new coach (Xavi Hernández)."
He added with a laugh: "I know players from the Netherlands personally more than Xavi knows them. Is that an advantage? I don't know. But it's a fact anyway."
Building a new identity comes first, and Klopp wants his players to relish the pressure that comes with it. "The first lesson for our shared future: we learn to enjoy ourselves under pressure," he said. "When there's pressure, you know the moment is really important. That's when full concentration becomes easier."
Two training sessions were all he had to sketch out his style. Captain Joshua Kimmich knows the scale of the task: "We know we come from a situation that isn't easy. With a new coach there's always a degree of early enthusiasm. What matters to us is to recover our DNA and our identity."
"A pivotal role"
Kimmich will anchor the midfield. Klopp explained: "The team needs stability, it needs a pivot. If the pivot is stable, we can be a little crazy out wide, and mix in a lot of youngsters. Then it works."
Continuity comes first, too. "We're still relatively strongly committed to what was in place at the World Cup, a team that understands each other, whose players know one another," he said.
Defensive solidity matters most of all to the German coach. "I stand by my opinion: footballing quality shows when a team has stability in its defensive behaviour," he said. "That is the trampoline, that is the safety net you need. If you think only about attack, then defence will always kill you."
Then came the pledge. "I walk through fire for the players. If the players give everything, then I'm responsible for the defeats… no ifs, no buts."
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