Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been issued a warning as he prepares to name his Germany squad for the Nations League this week
Klopp addresses a press conference at the headquarters of the German Football Federation (DFB) in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on July 24, 2026
Klopp will announce the Germany squad this week(Image: Getty)
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Toni Kroos has warned ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp over calling up Florian Wirtz to the German national team for the upcoming Nations League games. Klopp became Germany's new manager following Julian Nagelsmann's exit after the country's last-32 exit at this summer's World Cup.
Klopp's squad is set to include Wirtz, who has struggled to justify his £116million price tag since joining the Reds in the summer of 2025. The German coach, who left Liverpool after nine years in the summer of 2024, will announce his Nations League squad on Thursday.
Wirtz is a key player for his country and likely to be heavily involved in the upcoming fixture. Former Germany star Kroos has taken a brutal jab at the 23-year-old for his performances at the World Cup, however.
Ex-Real Madrid midfielder Kroos, speaking on the podcast Einfach Mal Luppen with his brother Felix, was asked by his sibling to name three players who hadn't participated in this year's World Cup.
He sarcastically named Wirtz alongside Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala and Aleksandar Pavlovic, despite all three having featured for Germany in the USA this summer.
Regarding the trio's lacklustre showing at the tournament, he said: “I’ve pointed out three players who didn’t show up at the World Cup: Pavlovic, Wirtz, and Musiala.”
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid
Florian Wirtz has endured a difficult first year at Liverpool(Image: Photo by Alfie Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Klopp's side will face the Netherlands away, Greece home and away and Serbia at home later this month. According to reports in Germany, the 59-year-old will name an expanded squad split into two groups, with each group playing two matches.
Wirtz's struggles have somewhat continued this season, registering just one assist in five games. However, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has faith in his No.10.
"He played very well against Atletico Madrid," said Iraola. "He helped us a lot, also he was very good on the ball and overall I was very happy with his performance. The game against Ipswich in the second half he lost more balls than normal but overall I have been very happy with his performances.
"He is a good player out of possession who helps us in our press. But he runs the same as the 10 of Arsenal, the 10 of (Manchester) City, the 10 of Fulham and more or less his stats are very similar to the number 10s other teams have.
Former Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos
Former Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos (Image: Getty Images)
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"But that is why you cannot just play because of the numbers. Whether a striker scores a lot of goals or he doesn’t score a lot of goals, you have to look at the performances. Does he help us to play well? Yes.
"Well, someone will score the goals and someone will give the assists. It is not that because you had the last touch, you played better than the other person.
"I am not too focused about numbers. Nowadays everything is about numbers, everyone tells players you have to assist, you have to score goals. For me, you have to help us play well. Someone will score the goals if we are doing well collectively."