Message to Klopp: ex-BVB star Groß fires Brighton back into spotlight | OneFootball

Goal festival in Coventry: But those supporting the hosts endured a pretty frustrating Sunday afternoon. Home side City were thrashed 5-0 by Brighton & Hove Albion. One of the Seagulls’ best players: former BVB pro Pascal Groß. Now the 35-year-old veteran is even a candidate for the national team.

Brighton have made a successful start to the new season. Two emphatic wins against Coventry and Aston Villa (4-0) have been matched by a draw against Leeds United (1-1) and a defeat away to Chelsea (3-4). Seven points currently put them in fourth place. The team coached by German manager Fabian Hürzeler (33) also reached the Conference League league phase against Tromsö IL (4-0, 0-0).

Right in the thick of it is former Dortmund man Groß. He has played the full 90 minutes in all six of his club’s competitive matches. And that’s not all: with five goal contributions, the midfield strategist is his team’s top scorer. Against Coventry, he converted a penalty to make it 3-0 at the time. He also helped set up both his side’s first and last goals.

Because of Groß’s outstanding form, quite a few people are speculating about a call-up to the national team. New Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp (59) will make his debut on September 24 in the Nations League match in the Netherlands. That will be followed by three more games against Greece (September 27), Serbia (October 1), and Greece again (October 4).

Last appeared at the World Cup

Since the 35-year-old did not retire from international football after taking part in the World Cup, he is at least among the leading candidates for a place in the Germany squad. So far, Groß has won 19 caps. He was last seen in the Germany shirt in the final World Cup group match against Ecuador (1-2).

Photo: IMAGO

Because Groß spent some time on the bench at Dortmund under Niko Kovac (54), he had seemed to fall a little behind in sporting terms in Germany. His surge in form after his swift return to Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2026 has now put him back in the international spotlight.

In total, Groß made 66 competitive appearances for BVB, with the set-piece specialist scoring one goal himself and setting up another 17.

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