Ignored by Jürgen Klopp: ex-BVB star is suddenly the top attacker | OneFootball

On Thursday (17 September), Jürgen Klopp announced his first squad as Germany head coach. A total of 44 players will play the upcoming international matches across two squads. However, Germany’s best attacking player is missing.

In the summer, Julian Brandt left BVB after seven years together. After weeks of uncertainty, the attacking player was then unveiled by Ajax Amsterdam. And in his new sporting home, the 30-year-old delivered immediately. In his first ten games for the club from the Dutch capital, Julian Brandt scored an impressive five goals.

“He is an incredible footballer. He thinks extremely quickly and finds solutions on the pitch fast,” praised Ajax coach Miguel Angel Sanchez Munoz after his team beat Willem II Tilburg 5-1 on Tuesday evening (14 September). It was their second 5-1 league win within just a few days — and once again the former BVB player scored. For the coach, one thing is clear: the new signing from Dortmund is an “outstanding finisher.” He then added: “It is certainly no coincidence that the players around him perform better. He makes the whole team better and gives it a new dynamic.” Nevertheless, Jürgen Klopp has decided against calling up the right-footer.

Ex-BVB star Julian Brandt the best German player not to be called up

However, it was already clear to Julian Brandt beforehand that he would not be getting a call from the new Germany coach. “I’ve been on the outside for quite a long time now — two years, I think,” the attacking player was quoted as saying by “Kicker” after his team’s win in their last league match. The 30-year-old has not completely given up on his dream of wearing the eagle on his chest again, though: “If it doesn’t work out this time, then maybe next time. I’m trying to convince the new national coach with my performances. If it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world. I’ll just keep going.”

Photo: IMAGO

Even so, it is still surprising that Jürgen Klopp did not nominate the former BVB vice-captain. The reason is obvious: with his five goals so far this season and his consistently strong performances in the Netherlands, Julian Brandt has registered more goal contributions than, for example, Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich or Florian Wirtz of Liverpool, both of whom were called up. In general, since the start of the season, Julian Brandt has been involved in more goals than any other player in his position. To be fair, it should be noted that at 30 years old, Ajax Amsterdam’s number eight is already at a relatively advanced age for a footballer. By the 2028 European Championship, he would already be 32. Whether he would still be an option for the national team by then is questionable.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.