Overview
- Jürgen Klopp has named a 44‑player German squad that includes 16 potential debutants as part of a deliberate, long‑term rebuild focused on broad player evaluation.
- Werder Bremen suffered a 0:7 defeat in a closed friendly at FC Twente on Friday, prompting coach Daniel Thioune to sharply rebuke his players and cancel a scheduled day off.
- Club friendlies delivered mixed signals for squad management with Bayer Leverkusen winning a 6:0 training match while Dynamo Dresden lost 0:2 in Teplice in a game disrupted by a medical emergency in the stands and a temporary floodlight failure.
- Injury and roster updates from the break are already actionable: Felix Agu left the Enschede test after about 40 minutes with muscular complaints, Werder and forward Dawid Kownacki agreed to a contract termination, and other clubs reported returns and fitness checks for key players.
- Off the pitch, German football’s media and governance lineup changed as ZDF confirmed Christoph Kramer will remain an expert through Euro 2028 and Per Mertesacker prepares to take an executive role at the DFB, while FC Erzgebirge Aue leads the recently relegated teams with 21 points from 11 matches.