National coach Klopp is proud of diversity: a convincing ambassador

W hat Jürgen Klopp had to announce on Thursday a week before his debut as national coach in Amsterdam was actually furious enough. He has nominated 44 national players, including 16 newcomers, for the new beginning after the dismal failure at the World Cup. There were names among them that many football fans had to secretly google.

But even more unexpected was the political agenda he presented on this occasion: “I would like to take back the flag for myself or for us, if I’m completely honest.” He had previously recalled the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and the horror that the successful AfD result had triggered among many. Klopp said he didn't want to leave national pride to the wrong people. You can be proud of Germany and still be diverse, nice and friendly.

Klopp is said to have said something similar two weeks ago at a staff meeting at the DFB Academy. During the press conference, which received a lot of attention and was streamed live nationwide, the words of someone who leads the DFB team had particular weight. For a long time it was considered a premium product of German pride and, according to Klopp's exuberantly optimistic ideas, it should become so again.

It is quite remarkable how much national football coaches now feel responsible for the bigger picture far beyond football. Political statements from national coaches have been made before, but they were not of such significance. In 1992, for example, national coach Berti Vogts recounted a telephone conversation with Chancellor Helmut Kohl after Denmark's surprise victory at the European Championship: "I told Kohl that it wasn't possible for the Danes to want to leave the EC but still become European champions."

Times have long since changed. Klopp's predecessor Julian Nagelsmann had already made the divided mood across the country an issue when he summarized what he saw as a very successful German home European Championship in 2024. He complained about the depressive atmosphere in Germany and praised the DFB team as a possible role model for community spirit. According to Nagelsmann, the team succeeded in creating a symbiosis between the team and the people in the country. Nagelsmann had the somewhat presumptuous idea that football could fill up rifts and defuse conflicts in a divided society.

Klopp not only wants to set different accents than Nagelsmann in terms of sport, he also did it socio-politically on Thursday. Football and specifically the German national team and many of the new appointees represent the diversity in this country and successful integration. This results in a “we” that Klopp spoke of, which does not fit with the ethnically understood national pride of an AfD.

The multimillionaire Klopp is often perceived as a buddy type and “The Normal One,” as he once described himself. He is no stranger to a tendency towards populism. But Jürgen Klopp also has an attitude that doesn't look for the highest possible popularity ratings. Fortunately, he made this particularly clear on Thursday. He is known to many as an advertising ambassador for insurance, cars, beer and all sorts of things. As an ambassador for the values ​​that sport also embraces, he has a much more convincing appeal.