Bayern Munich and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus has a comment to make about pretty much everything that goes down in German football. He frequently clashes with big names, although it’s been mostly limited to Uli Hoeneß these days, and so it’s no surprise to anyone that he finds something to criticise newly appointed manager Jürgen Klopp.
Germany’s record caps holder has publicly taken issue with the timing of Klopp’s upcoming squad announcement, scheduled for the 17th of September. As reported by Goal, Matthäus argues that announcing squad lists on Thursday afternoons, just hours before European matches in the Europa League and Conference League, places unnecessary psychological pressure on players who are trying to focus on crucial club fixtures. He also noted that Thursday announcements carry the risk of mid-week injuries that immediately invalidate the selected squad, forcing emergency call-ups before the weekend even begins. Matthäus has urged the DFB and Klopp to move squad reveals permanently to Friday mornings or middays.
Klopp’s squad reveal comes with much suspense, after he made claims of totally revamping the way that players are selected, and even the type of player they go after. Two German teams, Bayer Leverkusen and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, happen to be playing in the Europa League, and if any of their players are among the 57-man list that Klopp was monitoring, then they might face the pressure that Matthäus speaks of.
