Jurgen Klopp and Andoni Iraola pictured together in January 2024
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp has adopted a novel approach to his first squad selection as Germany head coach, and it’s one that current Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola will likely appreciate.
The 59-year-old will take charge of his country for the first time away to Netherlands next Thursday as their UEFA Nations League campaign gets underway, swiftly followed by fixtures against Greece (home, 27 September), Serbia (home, 1 October) and Greece again (away, 4 October).
The former Reds manager has decided to split his 44-player squad into two groups, one for the September double header and one for the subsequent couple of fixtures, with Florian Wirtz forming part of the latter selection (Bulinews).
Klopp explains split squad selection for Germany games
Having managed at club level for more than 20 years, Klopp is well accustomed to the rigours of quick turnarounds between games, and he also attributed his split squad approach to a desire to assess as many players as possible.
The Germany boss said (via DFB.de): “The main point is that it’s unusual to have to play four games in a row in such a short period. Some players are still playing football on Sundays. The timeframe is very tight in the first week, so with the initial squad, we focused heavily on the World Cup, ensuring the team is well-rehearsed and knows each other.
Germany head coach Jurgen Klopp speaks to the media
(Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
“I want to get to know as many players as possible during this time. I’ve been travelling and met many players personally to get a feel for their footballing abilities.
“We haven’t created an A or B team. We want to win all four games. The teams are structured to ensure a good fit in terms of positions, personalities, and the balance between experienced and inexperienced players.”
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Iraola will surely welcome Klopp’s split-squad decision
Klopp’s decision to split the squad into two means that, after Liverpool’s visit to Bournemouth on Sunday, Wirtz isn’t due to play again for another 11 days, giving him a short break before the season becomes turbo-charged in October.
The 23-year-old will then have a week between Germany’s match away to Greece and the Reds’ Premier League clash at home to Manchester City, the first of nine games that Iraola’s team will face in a hectic 29-day period before the November international window.
The Nationalmannschaft coach was regularly critical of the tight scheduling for club fixtures when he was in charge at Anfield, with one such example seeing his team face Sheffield United and Crystal Palace away in December 2023 with a turnaround of little more than 60 hours.
He’ll therefore be well placed to empathise with what Iraola will encounter over the next couple of months, and the Basque will likely appreciate Klopp’s decision not to use Wirtz in all four of Germany’s games in the upcoming international window.
Even more than two years on from his departure from Liverpool, the legendary 59-year-old is doing his bit to indirectly help his former club!