Jürgen Klopp on Germany's New Call-Ups: "We See Potential in These Players."

Jürgen Klopp urges a broader view when evaluating the many new faces in his initial German national team roster. The new head coach named 44 players across two groups for upcoming UEFA Nations League matches, including 11 who had never before received a senior national team call-up.

Some choices are more unexpected than others. SV Elversberg midfielder Felix Keidel has limited Bundesliga experience, with just three matches played. Hoffenheim attacker Bambasé Conté has made ten appearances in Germany's top flight. Augsburg wing-back Hennes Behrens has only recently become a regular Bundesliga starter, while Celtic midfielder Mika Baur confessed to Klopp that he wasn't even a consistent starter for Germany's Under-21 team.

Klopp maintains that international football must embrace a degree of risk to develop new options.

"This is the first lesson for our time together," Klopp stated when asked if the younger additions might face excessive pressure. "We need to learn to enjoy pressure. Let's start there. It's actually quite good. Pressure means something is at stake. When there's pressure, you know what's truly important at that moment. It's easier to focus, and pressure isn't a negative term."

Klopp Encourages Looking for Potential

The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager was direct about how his less established selections would inevitably face scrutiny.

"You can watch closely and, every time Felix Keidel makes a misplaced pass, ask if he's ready or not," Klopp explained. "Or if Bambasé Conté fails to complete a dribble in tonight's [Hoffenheim] Europa League game, how will you see it? Will you focus on his potential, or will you be looking to see if he's ready for this level?"

Keidel's nomination highlights Klopp's perspective. His running ability, both feet, set-piece delivery, and tactical flexibility have helped transform a player without prior German youth team experience into perhaps the most surprising senior Germany call-up in this group.

Conté followed a different developmental path. Klopp shared that Conté laughed for about two minutes when the new head coach identified himself over the phone. Conté has started only two of Hoffenheim's first four competitive matches but has already contributed three assists.

For Klopp, this is the type of player international coaches must sometimes be willing to project forward rather than solely evaluate based on past performance.

"I'll tell you right now that these lads are ready enough for what we aim to do with them at this precise moment," Klopp said. "We'll all discover this together. We must focus on how we can assist them, and that's my role along with the club coaches. Ask the club coaches about these players, and they'll tell you how good they are. I appreciate bold decisions regarding personnel."

Klopp Explains What Caught His Attention

While the call-ups might appear unconventional collectively, Klopp provided specific reasons for many. Baur, for example, was apparently surprised enough to remind Klopp he wasn't a regular U21 starter. Nevertheless, the head coach praised the 22-year-old's creativity, passing range, and attitude. Baur's decision to move from newly promoted Paderborn to Celtic this summer also impressed him.

Finn Jeltsch required much less convincing. Klopp noted that the Stuttgart centre-back was the first less obvious name to catch his eye as the coaching staff began reviewing potential additions. Jeltsch's age and senior experience stood out; the 20-year-old already has 69 appearances across Germany's top two leagues.

Klopp described Jeltsch as an "exceptional defender," praising his composure, athleticism, and technical skill. Within the coaching staff, the decision to select him was reportedly not a significant debate. The same "exceptional" description was applied to Freiburg centre-back Max Rosenfelder.

Rosenfelder's inclusion comes despite injuries again limiting his competitive minutes. Klopp acknowledged that the 23-year-old is still undergoing careful physical rehabilitation and stressed that Germany will ensure he is not overused.

However, the Freiburg academy product, alongside Jeltsch, already represents what Klopp views as the next generation of German central defenders.

Treu and Scherhant Offer Different Types of Versatility

Klopp also used Philipp Treu's selection to challenge a common sentiment about the German player pool. Klopp repeatedly emphasized that Germany possesses considerably more talent than recent pessimism suggested. "We talk in Germany about not having any right-backs," Klopp stated, suggesting that Treu himself might question why people say that.

Derry Scherhant brings a different kind of versatility. Klopp described the Freiburg attacker as having a "truly exciting profile" because he doesn't fit neatly into typical winger categories. Where one player might excel at dribbling but lack directness towards goal, and another might attack the box without sufficient one-on-one ability, Klopp believes Scherhant combines elements of both.

Ebnoutalib Embodies the Value of Looking Beyond Reputation

Younes Ebnoutalib perhaps offers the most striking example of why Klopp is willing to cast a wide net. Less than two years ago, the Frankfurt-born striker was playing Regionalliga football for FC Gießen. Klopp recalled watching Ebnoutalib's first appearance for Frankfurt almost by chance. His reaction was disbelief: "What the …? Where did they find him?"

Klopp joked that he'd like to read a book about the striker's unusual career path, while praising his willingness to give his all and his intelligence when operating near the opposition's back line. The new Germany coach isn't claiming every newcomer is already a finished international player. He's essentially arguing the opposite.

Part of the purpose of opening the national team door is to discover what might happen after these players step through it. Keidel will misplace passes. Conté will lose dribbles. Baur, Rosenfelder, Scherhant, and the others will face moments where the step up seems immense. Klopp appears prepared for this.

What matters to him is whether Germany views these moments as confirmation that the players should never have been selected—or as part of the process of discovering how good they might eventually become.