Jürgen Klopp "Officially Gives Up" on Controlling Joshua Kimmich Debate

Jürgen Klopp has again discouraged framing Germany's strong midfield performance as a challenge to captain Joshua Kimmich's position.

This discussion gained traction after Germany’s 2-0 win over Serbia. In that match, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Tom Bischof, and Florian Wirtz formed a midfield that delivered the most effective performance of Klopp's brief tenure.

Klopp had previously shown frustration when the topic arose after the game, as questions about Kimmich’s future role gained prominence.

When asked again on Saturday, the national team manager, in good spirits, humorously highlighted the difficulty of discussing the issue without creating an unwarranted narrative.

“You can tell it’s extremely difficult for me to say anything about that,” Klopp stated after a reporter observed his previous reluctance on the Kimmich question. “Because you want to make a story out of it. We played a good game. Our midfield trio was top class.”

“But imagine if Germany had just three top-class midfielders,” Klopp added. “Why focus on one player when the point is that we need several good players? We need diverse players: leaders, runners, everyone. That was a loaded question. I understand it’s a logical and normal question, but I think it's too early.”

Klopp: "I Officially Give Up"

The former Liverpool coach has consistently emphasized Germany’s need for flexibility in personnel rather than relying on a single midfield setup. His comments on Saturday were his clearest attempt to dismiss the idea that Kimmich’s absence from the Serbia match signals a move away from him as captain.

“I’m very satisfied with all the players,” Klopp continued. “I’m looking forward to the future and hope we have a large selection. I just don’t stand a chance with that question without you guys making something out of it. I give up. Seriously. Officially. With respect to that topic, I give up. Do what you want with it. I’m happy with the game and I’m happy that Joshua Kimmich is a leading player for Germany.”