Jürgen Klopp accepted responsibility for Germany’s 1–0 defeat to Greece in his first home match as national coach. Speaking to ARD after the Nations League game, the 59-year-old said the lineup, squad composition and numerous substitutions were “100 percent” on him.
Klopp also put the result in context: the team had been together for only a week, faced a deep defensive opponent and was newly assembled, so players still needed to develop their routines. He said he could have lived with not winning or not winning by a large margin, but added that Germany should not have lost.
After two matches under the new coach, Germany have one point and sit third in Nations League Group 2. Serbia are next, with the match scheduled for Thursday at 8:45 p.m. Germany will then face Greece again away on Sunday.
Klopp said he felt very sorry for Germany’s fans and the enthusiasm surrounding the team. He added that he had lost more matches in his life than he wanted and viewed the defeat as information, like a win, if the team drew the right lessons. The next steps, he said, needed to be bigger and faster.