Klopp factor makes the difference for Germany’s new faces ahead of debuts

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany (AP) — Jürgen Klopp is having an effect on Germany’s players even before his first game as coach.

The former Liverpool manager has called up 16 uncapped players in a supersized first roster of 44 for his first four Nations League games as he tried to reboot Germany following another disappointing World Cup.

Some newcomers say having Klopp in charge gives them a boost.

Forward Younes Ebnoutalib credited Klopp with helping persuade him to pick Germany, where he was born, over Morocco, which he’d represented as a youth player.

“I am very, very proud. There were also talks with Morocco, but they weren’t as intense as with Jürgen,” the Eintracht Frankfurt striker said Tuesday at the Germany training camp. “I’m just proud. You have to say, he is one of the best coaches in the world. And when he calls, you can’t say no.”

Defender Philipp Treu is one of four Freiburg players, all on track to make a national team debut after reaching the Europa League final last season.

They could get their chance in Nations League games against the Netherlands on Thursday and Greece on Sunday.

“It’s definitely something where you say, ‘Hey, cool, that I can now train under Jürgen Klopp’,” Treu said. “And that’s why I’m just looking forward to being on the pitch with him later, soaking it all in, and just giving it my all.”

Klopp’s taken the unusual approach of rotating between two different squads, with a second batch of players set to come in against Serbia on Oct. 1 and Greece on Oct. 4.

Treu’s fellow Freiburg defender Max Rosenfelder said he felt a connection with Klopp straight away.

“I believe that he is simply a very, very special person,” he said. “I think he’s someone who can connect and engage people very well.”

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