Jurgen Klopp clashes with German media over Kimmich omission

Jurgen Klopp has clashed with German journalists once again after his team selection was heavily questioned just three games into his international tenure.

The 59-year-old former Liverpool manager has cut a spiky figure since returning to the dugout as Germany boss, setting a combative tone from the very start. During his introductory press conference, he even threatened to resign immediately if reporters targeted his family.

That early hostility has set the stage for a tense relationship with the media, which has only been heightened by a mixed start to his reign. Klopp made the unusual decision to select two different squads of 22 players for the ongoing four-game Nations League block, a move that has created significant tension.

Klopp hits back over Kimmich

Germany secured a 2-0 victory over Serbia on Thursday, but the decision to leave out star midfielder Joshua Kimmich in favour of Aleksandar Pavlovic, Tom Bischof, and Florian Wirtz sparked immediate debate.

When asked about the omission ahead of the upcoming rematch against Greece, the Germany manager quickly lost his temper with the line of questioning.

Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference, Klopp said:

“It’s such a beautiful evening, and without even mentioning it, you’re trying to bring up a topic that isn’t really a topic.”

The manager went on to accuse the assembled media of deliberately trying to manufacture a controversy surrounding the experienced Kimmich. He argued that squad rotation is a normal part of modern football and that players must show good form to play, just like they would at club level.

Defending his selection policy, Klopp said:

“We played a very good game. Now imagine if we had exactly three midfielders in Germany.”

A spiky start to international management

The victory over Serbia, which featured goals from Wirtz and Bischof, followed a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands and a disappointing 1-0 loss to Greece.

Despite the improved performance on Thursday, Klopp felt the media were too quick to hunt for negative angles rather than focusing on the display. He noted that questions about Kimmich arose far too early in the press conference, with the second or third question already heading in that direction.

Earlier in the week, the manager had already expressed his anger at the German press, labelling the leaking of his starting line-up “pathetic” as relations continue to sour.

Expressing his complete exasperation with the media coverage, Klopp said:

“I have no chance of answering the question in a way that would prevent you from making your own thing out of it anyway.”

Midfield unit united behind the boss

While the manager battled with reporters, his players seemed far more content with the tactical setup deployed against Serbia.

Bayern Munich midfielder Pavlovic, who sat alongside his manager during Saturday’s media duties, praised the chemistry of the young midfield trio. He explained that the players complemented each other well defensively, while Wirtz was given complete freedom on the ball.

Speaking about the partnership with Bischof and Wirtz, Pavlovic said:

“It was incredibly fun playing alongside Tom and Flo.”

Germany now travel to Thessaloniki for a rematch against Greece on Sunday, where Klopp is expected to name an unchanged midfield.