Klopp Clarifies Undav Remarks After Musiala Backlash
Jurgen Klopp moved to clear up his undav remarks after suggesting Deniz Undav could start ahead of Jamal Musiala against Curaçao. He said the comments were taken out of context and were never meant as criticism of Musiala. The dispute now sits inside Germany’s World Cup lineup debate, where selection talk has spilled into public view.
Klopp and Muller line-up exercise
Klopp and Thomas Muller took part in an experimental lineup segment for the 2026 World Cup, and the exercise prompted the suggestion that Stuttgart’s Undav could feature in the number 10 role. Klopp later said, “And obviously there were a few misunderstandings - we just have to clear that up. We were asked to make a line-up. We just wanted to show that there are other possibilities, which there must be”.
He also said, “That was zero point zero meant as criticism. Who should we criticise? They haven't played yet. Neither the coach nor the team. And certainly not Musiala, whom everyone loves, ourselves included”. The point of the discussion was depth, not a verdict on Musiala’s place in the squad.
Matthaus pushes back hard
Lothar Matthaus challenged the comments and questioned Klopp’s judgment. “He should know better. To play a successful World Cup, Germany needs the quality of a Musiala,” he said. Matthaus added, “His comments don't exactly make Nagelsmann's job any easier.”
He also said, “I'd like to see what Klopp would have said if an expert had advised him to bench one of his regular starters before an important Champions League match.” That criticism turned a lineup discussion into a wider argument over how much Germany can afford to rotate around one of its most gifted attackers.
Musiala’s fitness shapes debate
Klopp tied the conversation to Musiala’s recent injury history, saying the midfielder had too few games at the moment after a serious injury during the Club World Cup in the summer of 2025. Musiala was limited to 24 appearances and five goals across all competitions last season, a workload that has left the World Cup discussion focused on whether Germany asks him to do too much too soon.
Klopp said, “We want the boy to get the feeling for himself again very quickly, that he trusts himself.” For Germany, the next selection call is less about whether Musiala belongs in the squad than how quickly he can be pushed back into the most demanding role in it.
