Netherlands vs Germany LIVE: Jurgen Klopp names first Germany line-up for Nations League clash | OneFootball

Jurgen Klopp is back in the dugout for his first game as Germany manager as he begins his latest rebuild job against storied rivals the Netherlands.

Klopp has not managed since leaving Liverpool after a glittering nine-year spell in 2024 but returns to the coaching scene to try and put Germany back on their perch off the back of their disastrous last-32 World Cup exit to Paraguay in the summer.

The 59-year-old named a 44-man squad for his first international break as he tried to get to grips with what he has to work with.

The Netherlands, meanwhile, are similarly entering a new era under a new boss, with Barcelona legend Xavi taking the reins from Ronald Koeman, who stepped down after the World Cup.

Netherlands vs Germany

The teams are out onto the Johan Cruyff Arena pitch, and now we have the anthems.

One Dutch mascot is particularly moved by the German anthem...

Will Castle24 September 2026 19:43

Closing in on kick-off

Not long until we get underway in Amsterdam - will it be joy for Jurgen Klopp or Xavi on their maiden outings?

Stay tuned for all the action!

(Getty)

Will Castle24 September 2026 19:41

Klopp reunites with Van Dijk

Nice moment between former manager and captain as Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk reunite under the lights in Amsterdam!

(Getty)

(Getty)

(AP)

Will Castle24 September 2026 19:39

One of football's great rivalries

For Jurgen Klopp and Xavi, there are few greater fixtures to make your managerial bow in than Netherlands vs Germany. It is one of the biggest and most storied international rivalries around.

In 48 outings, Germany (or West Germany) have won 18 and the Netherlands have won 12, with 18 stalemates making up the rest.

The foundation of the rivalry stems from the 1974 World Cup final, which saw West Germany overcome Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands’ ‘Total Football’.

There was then revenge at the 1988 Euros, as Marco van Basten fired in an 88th-minute winner to beat West Germany in the semi-finals. The Netherlands went on to win the tournament, with Van Basten scoring his famous volley in the final.

A fiery encounter played out two years later at the World Cup, with Frank Rijkaard and Rudi Voller squaring off before both being sent off in a West Germany last-16 win.

They haven’t faced off in a major tournament since the Euro 2012 group stage, which saw a Mario Gomez double down the Dutch - but Germany have continued to get the better of their rivals, losing just once in their last five meetings.

On home soil, can the Netherlands turn the tide?

Van Dijk hits back at ‘nonsense’ claims that he influenced Netherlands’ World Cup tactics

Virgil van Dijk has strongly rejected accusations that he dictated former head coach Ronald Koeman’s tactical setup during the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign, branding the allegations "completely baseless".

The Liverpool captain and national team skipper called suggestions that he drove tactical changes prior to their last-16 elimination by Morocco "utter nonsense".

Directing his response to a journalist, Van Dijk said: "One of your colleagues also said, of course, that it was my idea to switch to playing with a back five. That is utter nonsense."

He added: "The fact is we simply failed at the World Cup; those are the hard facts. We didn’t play a good World Cup. It’s not about me. You perform together; you’re a team. Your claim that I destroyed Dutch football after the World Cup – that sort of thing is completely baseless.

"The plan is devised by the staff. Nonsense is being spread so that I look even worse. That happens far too often.

"I was told that it was my fault we played with five, that Ronald Koeman and I have destroyed Dutch football.

"The plan worked for 89 minutes, even though it was a bad match. We almost broke through. The idea that I destroyed Dutch football makes absolutely no sense. I didn’t decide that."

Will Castle24 September 2026 19:32

Xavi imparts his footballing philosophy onto Netherlands team

Xavi says he ‌feels the Netherlands players had bought into his game ⁠model and philosophy, which he has described as revolving around possession, position, pressing, perception, and ⁠passion.

“You need possession to win the match,” he said.

“You need the right positions. When you lose the ball, you have to press. And you need perception to see what is happening around you and understand the game.

“But without passion, you cannot play football. But he ​was also clear that winning remains the end goal.

“I think there is definitely potential in this squad.”

Will Castle24 September 2026 19:28

Why has Klopp chosen 44 players?

Jürgen Klopp selected 44 players across two separate Germany squads in an unorthodox move ahead of four Nations League fixtures, while opting to drop the nation’s top scorer from the World Cup.

Klopp's double squad selection turns upcoming matches against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia into an extended audition for positions prior to the next major tournament, the 2028 European Championship in the UK and Ireland.

Established stars such as Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz are likely to be restricted to a maximum of two matches, as Klopp seeks to introduce fresh faces and manage physical demands on players.

(Reuters)

Will Castle24 September 2026 19:24

Wirtz, Ronaldo, Alexander-Arnold: Which players have a point to prove during the international break?

A new cycle for international football begins with the Nations League over the next three weeks as many teams enter a new era under fresh leadership.

But all eyes will not be on the technical area, with a plethora of players having a point to prove in a post-World Cup landscape, whether they played in North America this summer or not.

Here are 10 players to watch during the international break:

10 players with a point to prove during the international break

Three weeks of Nations League action gives players a chance to prove their worth in a post-World Cup landscape

Will Castle24 September 2026 19:20

Klopp pledges to reclaim German flag from ‘wrong people’ amid far-right rise

It’s not just football in Germany that Jurgen Klopp is somewhat displeased about.

Klopp says he wants to reclaim expressions of national pride in Germany from the “wrong people” in remarks widely seen as a rebuke to the far right after the Alternative for Germany (AfD) won an election this month.

"I don't want to leave national pride to the wrong people," said Klopp.

Without mentioning the AfD by name, he added that he would like to “reclaim the flag”.

He added: "I want it so that when someone waves it, no one thinks: 'What is wrong with you?' Instead, I want people to understand: you are happy and realise how lucky you were to be born, grow up, or move to this wonderful country.”

(Reuters)

Will Castle24 September 2026 19:13

The risk that comes with Germany’s much-needed personality hire of Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp could have sat back and let the punditry millions roll in. The charisma king of the dugout unsurprisingly made the transition to TV pretty seamlessly for the World Cup, alongside Thomas Muller – the former Germany forward whose penchant for Reels signifies that the permanent shift from footballer to entertainer isn’t too far away.

But Klopp’s personality is of better use in a more serious sector of the German football landscape.

As the team dabs its wounds after a dismal last-32 World Cup exit to Paraguay, the wait to win a knockout-stage match since their 2014 triumph goes on. Julian Nagelsmann failed to galvanise the country’s national team, like Hansi Flick did before him – two tactical aficionados and objectively fine managers, but that’s where it ends. They lacked a certain... aura.