Klopp Calls for 'Positive Patriotism' as Germany Coach
Two months into the job, Jurgen Klopp says he wants Germans to reclaim pride in the national flag, amid rising political tension in the country.
Jurgen Klopp used a media conference last Thursday to call for what he termed "positive patriotism", two months into his tenure as Germany head coach.
Asked whether he sees himself as an ambassador for the country, Klopp gave a serious answer.
He went on: "I want it so that when someone waves it, no-one thinks: 'What is wrong with you?' Instead, I want people to understand: You are happy and realise how lucky you were to be born, grow up, or move to this wonderful country."
The remarks came after the Alternative for Germany (AfD) topped the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, and after a further win for the anti-immigration party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Klopp's comments were widely and positively received, coming at a time when the national team itself includes several players from migrant backgrounds.
Klopp also pointed to Alexander Zverev's run at the US Open, the women's basketball team's European Championship campaign and the performance of German athletes at the European Athletics Championships as evidence that sport can foster "a sense of community". "This is our mission: we need to create a good atmosphere," he said.
It is not the first time Klopp has set the terms of the conversation since taking the job in July. In his opening news conference he admonished the media directly, asking for fair treatment and for his family to be left out of any attacks.
None of it changes the brief he was hired for. The DFB is paying Klopp an annual salary of £6m not for commentary on the state of the nation but to turn round a national side that has been floundering.
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