Jürgen Klopp Names Marc-André ter Stegen as Germany's No. 1

Jürgen Klopp has wasted no time putting his stamp on Germany. His latest squad for the upcoming Nations League meetings with Serbia and the Netherlands delivered one clear message: there is no debate over the man in goal.

Marc-André ter Stegen is his No. 1.

Barcelona’s Karim Adeyemi missed out on the squad entirely, but on-loan Ajax goalkeeper ter Stegen not only made the cut – he was publicly anointed. Klopp used his press conference to remove any lingering doubt about the hierarchy between the posts.

“Marc is having a fantastic season in Amsterdam, and fortunately, the other two [Urbig and Nübel] are also having really good seasons,” Klopp said, before drawing a firm line under the discussion. Germany will go into these fixtures with ter Stegen as the starter, not as part of a rotating cast.

This is not, Klopp stressed, a flavour-of-the-month decision based on a few highlight saves. He wants stability. He wants authority. He wants a goalkeeper who can anchor a new era.

“The number one requirement for a goalkeeper is to make sure the ball doesn't end up in the net. That's the most important thing,” he said. But Klopp’s checklist runs longer than that. In his vision, the goalkeeper is not just a shot-stopper but the first playmaker and the last sweeper.

He talked about how ter Stegen dictates Germany’s game in possession, how he copes when the back line pushes high, how quickly he reads danger and steps out to kill attacks at source. It is the modern brief for an international goalkeeper, laid out in blunt terms: know when to come, clear your lines, control the chaos.

“It's a strange way of putting it,” Klopp admitted, “but essentially, it's about knowing when to come out and deal with the danger – not trying to dribble, but simply clearing the ball. All of these things are part of the job. Marc has the most experience in this area, and, yes, we're going into these matches with him as our number one.”

For ter Stegen, this feels like a long-awaited reset. After injury robbed him of the chance to play at the 2026 World Cup, his season with Ajax has been about rhythm, repetition, and rebuilding status. Regular minutes in Amsterdam have sharpened his timing and restored his presence, the very qualities Klopp is now banking on.

Germany have lived for years in the shadow of the Manuel Neuer era, a period when the goalkeeper position felt untouchable. With Klopp now in charge and ter Stegen finally installed as the undisputed first choice, the role belongs to someone else at last.

The Nations League will be his proving ground. If he nails it, this might not just be Klopp’s first big call as Germany coach. It might be the moment ter Stegen’s international career finally becomes his own.