Klopp era starts with a bang: Germany has a new number one between the posts
Jürgen Klopp has been Germany coach for exactly one month, and he is already making the kind of decision that defines a tenure.
Details: Jürgen Klopp has named Marc-André ter Stegen as his number one goalkeeper for Germany. According to reports, the new national team coach personally called the 34-year-old to express his confidence in him, ending the debate over who succeeds the retired Manuel Neuer.
The choice is a vindication of ter Stegen's gamble. Written off at Barcelona, where he lost his place and eventually left on loan, the veteran moved to Ajax in August until June 2027 with one clear mission: play every week and remind Klopp of his quality ahead of the next international cycle. It worked. Klopp, who took charge of the Mannschaft on August 15 after Julian Nagelsmann stepped down following the painful World Cup exit against Paraguay, inherits a squad in transition and has opted for experience in goal, choosing ter Stegen over younger candidates like Jonas Urbig and Oliver Baumann. For the keeper, the call closes a winding chapter: years in Neuer's shadow with the national team, a serious injury, a farewell to the Camp Nou, and now, at 34, the number one shirt of his country. Klopp's first real test comes with the autumn qualifiers, and he has made it clear who his last line of defense will be.
It's worth noting that ter Stegen has won 44 caps for Germany since his 2012 debut but spent most of that time as Neuer's understudy, never playing at a World Cup.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
