News (engl.)

Germany are set to come up against Serbia in their fifth group stage match in the UEFA Nations League on Friday (20:45 CET). Ahead of the game at the Rajko Mitic Stadion, head coach Jürgen Klopp and Florian Wirtz spoke about the opponent, the line-up and the development of the team. Read on for all the key quotes from today’s pre-match press conference. 

Jürgen Klopp on…

…the lead-up to the game: It’s been a good week so far. No one has picked up any injuries and we feel well prepared. We know that we’re up against an opponent that will want to get a good result. The current situation is that we want to make the game against the Netherlands into a final of sorts, and in order for that to happen, we have to get past Serbia first. 

…the spectator ban: We’re going to make the best of it. We’re here in order to play and win a game of football. I always prefer playing in front of a crowd, but there’s nothing we can do to change it. 

…the children in attendance: I hope that we can make it a good game for them. Tomorrow, we have to send 5,000 Serbian kids home with the realisation that sometimes, you lose at football. Our goal is to win the game, regardless of whether we’re playing in front of a crowd of only children. 

…Florian Wirtz: In time, Flo will settle in at Liverpool. He arrived there during a difficult period and had to carve out a place for himself. It doesn’t surprise me that it will take time. When Flo is at his best, he can be extremely important to us.

…the mood within the team: We’re growing together as a team, and the mood is good. I hope that we’ll be able to show all the good work that the lads have put in. Every positive result will help us to develop into the team that we want to be. 

…the opponent: It’s possible to struggle against every opponent. Given the number of injuries that Serbia currently have, it’s tricky to predict how they’ll play. We’ll have to wait and see, as they are without a few players. If they bring in some young players, then I would expect for us to come up against a very lively, intense and aggressive side, with our aim being to outplay them. I’m looking forward to the game and am expecting it to be difficult. It will be a good test of how far we’ve come.

…the preparations: We’ve tried to prepare ourselves for several possible scenarios. We want to play our game regardless of how our opponents line up. We’re able to react if something happens tomorrow that we don’t know about today. 

…the line-up: Looking back on the line-up from our last game against Serbia, it was a mix of footballing ability and tactical discipline. I’ve got a formation in mind. Provided no one gets sick, then I already know how we’ll start tomorrow. 

…the future of the team: I’ve had a lot of meetings, including with Joshua Kimmich. There’s always a lot being said about everything that’s missing in German football, such as world-class players and so on. My opinion of this team is very positive. We have a lot of young players that are extremely talented. We’ve got youthful wingers, such as Lennart Karl. Up front, we have a mix of youth and experience, which we have in defence as well. There are a lot of positives. We’re on a good path now – we don’t know when it might end, but the foundation we’ve established is good. The next generation is already coming up as well – there are 15 and 16-year-olds that we’ve already got an eye on who could be part of the team in three or four years when they’re 18 or 19. 

Florian Wirtz on…

…the week of training: I feel as though we’ve developed a stronger connection to each other and that we’ve been able to better implement what we’ve worked on. Tomorrow, it will be about bringing the right level of passion and willpower to the pitch. If we do, then I think that we’ll be able to beat Serbia, because we have a lot of quality in our team. 

…speaking with Jürgen Klopp: He’ll usually send a short text after a game. He congratulates you when things went well, but he’ll also tell me when things weren’t good, which I also appreciate. It’s not to be expected that the head coach of the national team would take time out of his day to also watch your club games. I’m glad that he’s so interested in them. 

…his position: I’ve always tended to play in a more central position. I’m happy to now be playing in this position more often with the national team as well. I did also enjoy playing out wide, like I have been over the last years. I feel very comfortable in the position that I’m currently playing in. 

…his first league goal for Liverpool: Yes, he congratulated me afterwards. I think I played well. As an attacker, it gives you a boost whenever you score or provide an assist. Sometimes, there’s games where you try everything you can but you just don’t play well. Once you’re more involved, then that also does you a world of good. 

…playing in Belgrade: I think that it will be a different game. I think they’ll be more aggressive on the pitch. We played well against them in Munich and had our foot on the gas from the start. We didn’t give them any time to breathe and won the ball back quickly. We also want to do the same tomorrow. 

…the strikers: I think that we have three very talented strikers in our squad. They all bring different strengths to the table. [Kai] Havertz can play at different positions, including out wide, while [Niclas Füllkrug] is a real presence in the box and can pose a real threat, in addition to scoring goals. Younes [Ebnoutalib] is a very talented player. He’s good with the ball at his feet and is also able to get off shots in a one-v-one situation. I’m glad that I don’t have to decide who starts. I’m looking forward to playing alongside at least one of them. All three bring a lot of quality to our side. 

…the young players: We have a lot of young, talented players in the squad, especially out wide, which I’m happy about. We also have players that are strong in one-v-ones, which is what you need – players that can impose themselves on a game. We’ve got a lot of options in our squad, so the coach has a strong selection to draw from. I try to set a good example. I’ve been with the team for a while now and have played a lot of games. I try to help the lads on the pitch, because it’s always different to playing for your club. I try to give them confidence, that’s my aim on the pitch.