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Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp made a halftime appearance on the German DAZN broadcast during Bayern Munich’s Champions League clash with Arsenal on Wednesday evening, offering some revealing thoughts on Vincent Kompany’s tactical setup before turning his attention toward several pressing national-team topics.
The Bundestrainer admitted that even he has not completely deciphered what Bayern are trying to accomplish without the ball, with Harry Kane’s unusual defensive responsibilities proving particularly intriguing.
“I still haven’t fully understood what Bayern do against the ball,” Klopp said.
The Bundestrainer specifically referenced Kane’s role before joking that there was nothing wrong with Kompany approaching matters differently.
“I’m not the pope of football. Everyone is allowed to do what they want, but I haven’t completely figured it out either,” Klopp said with a smile.
Klopp refuses to fuel Kimmich debate
Klopp was also asked about Bayern’s midfield pairing of Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlovic. Joshua Kimmich was unavailable for Wednesday’s match because of a bereavement in his family. The Bundestrainer immediately refused to turn the discussion into another comparison involving the Germany captain.
“I think it would be absolutely disrespectful to talk about that today because we can’t do it without it subsequently becoming a Kimmich discussion,” Klopp said. “Kimmich is an outstanding midfielder who will always have a place in this team.”
The comments represent Klopp’s latest attempt to settle a discussion that has followed Germany throughout his opening international window. Get German Football News recently examined the mounting criticism surrounding Klopp’s public handling of the Kimmich debate, which intensified after Pavlovic, Bischof and Florian Wirtz excelled during Germany’s first victory under the former Liverpool coach.
Klopp addresses Nicolo Tresoldi topic
Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi also entered the conversation following his recent Champions League hat-trick against Inter Milan. Asked whether Germany were keeping track of the Italy-eligible striker, Klopp offered a characteristically direct response.
“We’re not stupid.”
Klopp confirmed that Germany have already held talks with Tresoldi. The 22-year-old has also spoken with Italy head coach Roberto Mancini as he continues to consider his senior international future.
The question has grown increasingly pertinent amid Tresoldi’s outstanding work with the Germany U21s. GGFN recently examined both his goalscoring numbers and his potential path toward Klopp’s senior side, with the Club Brugge striker emerging as one of the most obvious candidates for eventual promotion. Tresoldi’s club form continues to drive the relevance of the issue.
Klopp answers Füllkrug question
Niclas Füllkrug, meanwhile, remains firmly in the discussion following his remarkable resurgence with Werder Bremen. The 33-year-old has returned to prolific form since moving back to his former club and has inevitably found himself confronted with repeated questions about a possible Germany recall. Füllkrug recently expressed his frustration with the persistent national-team discussion after extending his Bundesliga scoring streak.
Klopp acknowledged that Füllkrug’s age necessarily forms part of Germany’s planning while nevertheless leaving the door open.
“We have a present, a medium-term future and a long-term future,” Klopp said. “In the present, it can of course work. In the medium term, possibly as well. Long term, well, we’ll have to see. He’s 33, and that’s not my fault.”
Germany return to action in November with an away fixture against Serbia before hosting the Netherlands.
