Jürgen Klopp used his first press conference as Germany head coach to address the country's political climate, saying the national football team has a role to play in ensuring pride in the nation is not left in the hands of extremists.
Speaking in Frankfurt as he unveiled his inaugural squad, Klopp responded to the recent surge of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which captured almost 44% of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September, narrowly missing an outright majority in the regional parliament. The anti-immigration party is also tipped for strong showings in Sunday's elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Without naming the AfD directly, the 59-year-old, who took charge of the national side in July following Germany's third consecutive early tournament exit, made clear his discomfort with the political trend. "There was a vote which some people probably found OK, but others would have thought: 'Good heavens, what's going on here?'" Klopp said.
He went on to express a desire to see the German flag associated with warmth and openness rather than division. "From the perspective of someone in sport, I'd like to reclaim the flag for myself and for us. When we wave it, I don't want that someone thinks: 'What's going on with you?' I want that they think you're happy and you understand how lucky you are to be born in this wonderful country or to have moved here and live here," he said.
Klopp, who built his reputation for outspoken social commentary during stints at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, admitted some hesitancy over language. "I'm not even sure if one can – or is allowed to – use that term any more without it being misunderstood," he said of "national pride," adding that he favours the idea of "positive patriotism" instead. He insisted the two concepts he holds are not mutually exclusive: "I can be proud of being German and still be open, diverse, kind and friendly."
The coach also touched on broader societal priorities, suggesting that practical needs such as healthcare staffing mattered more than symbolic gestures, while maintaining that football still has a unifying function. He said the sport can "foster a sense of community" and allow people to "truly feel the power of sport."
On footballing matters, Klopp took the unconventional step of naming a 44-man provisional squad, well beyond the standard 23-player matchday limit, ahead of four Nations League fixtures across two weeks. Germany will travel to face the Netherlands before two meetings with Greece, sandwiched around a home game against Serbia.
"It's very unusual that you've got four games in two weeks with the national team," Klopp explained. "I want to get to know as many players as possible in that time."
Among the notable inclusions, Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz are expected to feature in no more than two of the fixtures as Klopp manages squad rotation and player workload. Karim Adeyemi earns a recall after 11 months away from the setup, buoyed by a promising start at Barcelona, while Ajax goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen steps in as first-choice shot-stopper following Manuel Neuer's retirement from international duty.
Several uncapped players also received call-ups, including Elversberg midfielder Felix Keidel, Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib, Celtic's Mika Baur, Brentford's Vitaly Janelt and Cologne's Said El Mala. Striker Deniz Undav and winger Leroy Sané were left out of the group.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football and BBC Sport Football.