Klopp reveals his plan for Bischof—and is coordinating it specifically with Kompany | OneFootball

Tom Bischof has reason to be excited about his opportunity with the German national team—though with a specific plan in mind. Jürgen Klopp has called up the Bayern youngster for his first international matches as head coach of the German national team, but will not field him with the senior squad just yet.

Instead, Bischof is set to spend the first part of the international break with the German U21 team, where the 21-year-old is slated to serve as captain. Only afterward will the midfielder join Klopp’s squad and is expected to be available for the third and fourth matches.

This unusual arrangement was not only coordinated within the DFB; Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was also involved in the planning.

“Tom will be with us in the second group [drittes und viertes Spiel]. In the first group, he’ll be with the U21s as their captain. This was also discussed with Vincent Kompany. He doesn’t play three games every week either, so he’ll play with the U21s first and then join us,” the national team coach emphasized on Thursday at his squad press conference.

Klopp and Kompany Coordinate Workload

The decision is primarily driven by the need to manage the Bayern talent’s workload. Bischof should not be sent from one game to the next in quick succession. Klopp made it clear that the midfielder does not regularly play three matches in a week at the club level either.

At the same time, Bischof is expected to continue fulfilling his important role with the U21s. As captain, he bears special responsibility there before taking the next step up to the senior national team.

This creates an interesting situation for the Bayern pro. He doesn’t have to say goodbye to the U21s entirely right away, but he still gets the opportunity to showcase his skills intensively under Klopp for the first time.

The fact that Kompany was involved in the decision also shows that the DFB and FC Bayern are jointly keeping an eye on the young player’s workload.

Bischof gets his chance under Klopp

Photo: Getty Images

Since his move to FC Bayern, Bischof has gradually adjusted to the higher level of play at the record-breaking champions. However, due to the fierce competition in Munich’s midfield, the 21-year-old doesn’t play the full 90 minutes in every match.

Klopp still wants him in his squad. The national team coach is simply refraining from calling up Bischof from the U21s for the first part of the international break.

As a result, Bischof will take on two different roles during a single international break: first as a leader on the U21 team, then as a newcomer to the senior national team.

For the 21-year-old, this is the next step in his development. At the same time, Klopp makes it clear that he wants to ease Bischof into the role gradually—and is even coordinating his plan directly with Kompany.