Jurgen Klopp used a Germany pre-match press conference to turn his attention to Gianni Infantino and FIFA's 2027 presidential election. The FIFA president is seeking re-election next March in Rabat, Morocco, while Kozo Tashima and Ramon Vega have been mentioned as possible opponents. Klopp's message was blunt enough in translation: the game needs new leadership.
"The opinion is now unanimous that a change would make sense. It was thought that after Sepp Blatter it could not get any worse, but we managed to get to this. There are certainly people who truly care about football and do not have financial interests. If one of those were to take on the role, it would be extremely positive," Klopp told A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese.
Germany's position in Group A2
The football backdrop still matters. Germany arrived after a 3-1 win against Serbia, and they now sit on 8 points in Group A2. The Netherlands lead the group on 11, so Germany vs Netherlands has real weight even if the exact qualification route is tighter than some early reporting suggested.
Klopp's words did not come in a vacuum either. Germany's position means they are still in the qualification race, not already through, and the meeting with the Dutch is the next chance to close the gap at the top.
Wirtz and the build-up in Berlin
There was also a football layer beyond the FIFA argument. Florian Wirtz said his job is to lead the way and support younger players, while Klopp described him as being in top form and able to help Germany enormously.
Wirtz has made 4 Nations League appearances for Germany this season, posted a 7.25 rating, and added 2 goal contributions. That is a decent return for a young attacking player being asked to carry more responsibility. The meeting with the Netherlands on Monday in Berlin gives him another chance to do exactly that, while Klopp keeps his focus on a very different kind of power struggle.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
