Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp has defended under-fire Florian Wirtz’s Liverpool performances and hopes the playmaker “can be himself” with the national team.
The £116 million ($154 million) signing has struggled to rediscover his Bayer Leverkusen form since moving to Anfield last summer, but Klopp said there were understandable reasons for that which had not fully been taken into consideration.
“When you look at the full context, you will find that Florian joined Liverpool at an absolutely unfavourable time related to the death of Diogo Jota,” Klopp told a news conference. “He joined a team whose players’ priority at that time was not football, which is very understandable.
“He learned a lot from his first year. Now there is a new season under the leadership of a new coach.
“He is delivering a very good level physically, and the team has begun to regain its cohesion once again.
“Attacking players always need a team that works well around them. And anyone who loves football can still see how outstanding Florian Wirtz is as a player.”
Klopp has had to change his plans for Wirtz, who was scheduled to feature only in Germany’s third and fourth matches of the international break against Serbia and Greece.
However, injuries to Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala in the 1-1 draw with Netherlands brought forward the midfielder’s call-up to Friday and although he will not start on Sunday he will be in the squad.
“We need to make sure Flo feels comfortable here and can fit into the role we envision for him. Hopefully, he’ll simply be able to be himself here,” added Klopp.
Bayern Munich‘s Jonathan Tah, Wirtz’s former teammate at Leverkusen, was even more outspoken.
“I find it pretty extreme the way he’s been attacked,” he said. “I know the kind of player he is and that he’s going to shine even more. I know what he’s capable of and eventually, everyone will understand.”
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Tah also praised Klopp’s instant impact in the dressing room.
“It’s the experience he brings from every club, that mix of fun and passion, that absolute will to win, and also the way he brings the team along. He can really fire us up,” Tah said. “I think after our initial meeting, everyone walked out thinking, ‘OK, we’re ready to walk through fire together now.’
“He just has this ability to galvanise a team. We’ve seen that in the past. That’s something he does exceptionally well and I think that’s why he’s been so successful.”
