Klopp Appoints Ter Stegen as Germany’s No. 1 Goalkeeper
Jürgen Klopp has wasted no time putting his stamp on the German national team. His first major act in charge goes straight to the heart of the Mannschaft’s identity: the goalkeeper’s jersey.
According to German newspaper "Bild", Klopp has ended the long-running debate and handed the No. 1 shirt to Marc-André ter Stegen, the Barcelona goalkeeper currently on loan at Ajax. No more uncertainty. No more half-measures.
Klopp didn’t just sign off on a list. He picked up the phone.
The new Bundestrainer personally called the 34-year-old to tell him he has his full trust and will be part of his first squad, which will be officially announced next Thursday. For a player who had drifted towards international exile, that call changes everything.
A Comeback with Meaning
Ter Stegen’s return closes a painful chapter. He missed the last World Cup through injury and then disappeared from the national team picture for more than a year. For a keeper of his pedigree, that absence felt like an eternity.
Now he comes back in a setting loaded with symbolism.
His first game as Germany’s reinstated No. 1 is scheduled for the UEFA Nations League clash against the Netherlands on 24 September in Amsterdam – the city where he currently lives and plays as Ajax’s goalkeeper. The stage, the opponent, the venue: it all fits the narrative of a goalkeeper stepping back into the spotlight.
Baumann Era Ends
Every bold decision has a loser. Here, it is Oliver Baumann.
Several German outlets report that Klopp has decided to leave the Hoffenheim goalkeeper out of his squad entirely. After years spent as Manuel Neuer’s understudy with the four-time world champions, Baumann now finds himself out of the frame. No gradual phase-out, no soft landing. A full chapter in Germany’s goalkeeping history quietly closes with that omission.
New Battle Behind Ter Stegen
With the No. 1 spot settled, the real scramble begins just behind it.
Bayern Munich’s young keeper Jonas Urbig and Beşiktaş goalkeeper Alexander Nübel are currently leading the race for the second and third spots in Klopp’s first squad. Both represent the next generation, both see a rare opening in a position that has long been locked down by giants.
Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen is firmly in the mix as well, pushing hard to turn strong club form into a national team role.
Loris Karius, despite an impressive spell with Schalke and his well-documented past with Klopp at Liverpool, is expected to play only a peripheral role in this new era. Sentiment and old ties won’t dictate selection. Performance and profile will.
Klopp’s message is already clear: no sacred cows, no nostalgia picks, and no delay in big decisions. Ter Stegen is back at the heart of Germany’s plans. The rest of the goalkeeping hierarchy will now have to fight, urgently, to keep up.
