Florian Wirtz scored in Germany’s 2-0 win over Serbia in Munich. He wore the captain’s armband on the night Jurgen Klopp picked up his first win since taking charge of the national side. The result came in front of a packed Allianz Arena. It gave the former Liverpool manager about as good a start as he could have hoped for in his new job. It also gave Wirtz a landmark of his own to mark alongside it.
Television cameras caught Klopp hugging Wirtz on the pitch once the final whistle went in jubilation.
According to the Liverpool Echo report, Wirtz excelled in Munich on a night that doubled as a personal landmark for both men. He was the scorer and captain, while Klopp was the winning coach.
Wirtz spoke in detail afterwards about his goal, the armband and his ongoing conversations with Klopp, giving Reds fans a fuller picture of how that relationship continues away from Anfield.
Florian Wirtz dominates the first half for Germany
Serbia set up cautiously in Munich. Wirtz felt the visitors looked disorganised and leaned toward playing on the counter attack rather than trying to control the ball themselves. That approach left gaps for the hosts to use early on. It is the kind of opening many Liverpool fans will have seen countless times from opponents who fear what Klopp’s teams can do once given room.
Germany created space and used it well, in Wirtz’s own words. He pointed to the combination play down the spine of the team, from the back line through to the striker. It was, he said, the clearest sign of the pattern Klopp wants his side to follow. It is a simple idea, move the ball quickly through the thirds, but Wirtz made clear it takes discipline to execute against a side sitting as deep as Serbia did.
That same instinct showed up in Klopp’s comments on Wirtz earlier this year, when the coach praised the same range of passing from deep. Serbia’s passive start gave Wirtz room to find exactly that kind of pass, and he made the most of it rather than forcing anything that was not on.
Wirtz has always needed room to work in, as he explained when discussing what he is missing, and Serbia’s open approach gave him exactly that kind of freedom.
“What do I need to be at my best? Ideally, a lot of space in every game so I can do what I want! (laughs),” he said.
It is a fairly simple wish for a player of his quality, and one that Serbia, through their own caution, ended up granting him.
Wirtz instrumental in Klopp’s first win
Wirtz’s goal came from a move he was quick to credit to a teammate.
“It was a very good pass from Maxi (Mittelstadt),” he said. “I was hoping he would play it because it wasn’t easy, and then I saw someone coming behind me and did what I did.”
Wearing the captain’s armband at the Allianz Arena added weight to the occasion, though Wirtz was careful not to overstate its effect on his own display.
“I wouldn’t say [my performance was] because of the armband,” he said. He was more focused on what the win meant for the group as a whole than on any personal significance attached to leading the side out.
“It was of course important to win again, also for the team spirit, and to send a message to the outside world that we are good footballers and a good footballing nation,” he said.
Wirtz called the result a step in the right direction for the side, and his tone suggested relief as much as satisfaction.
Once the whistle went, Klopp made his way onto the pitch to embrace his captain. First wins carry extra significance for any new coach, and getting one with his captain on the scoresheet made the night feel complete for Klopp. It is hard to imagine a tidier start to life in international management.
According to Liverpool Echo, the pair have also spoken privately away from the cameras. Klopp wants Florian Wirtz to play the kind of football people are used to seeing from him.
“Yes, of course [we have spoken] and he wants me to play the kind of football people are used to seeing from me,” Wirtz said.
“We had a few conversations, and he gave me a few things to take on board and try to implement. I’m glad he spoke with me.”
Asked how things stood between them, he added:
“It is definitely heading in the right direction [under Klopp].” It is a small line, but it still tells supporters the bond built at Anfield has not faded now that the two work in different jobs.
Wirtz now returns to domestic duty with Liverpool, who are next in action against Manchester City at Anfield on October 11.
