Jürgen Klopp's Bold Call: Including Said El Mala in Germany's Squad

Jürgen Klopp is set to put his own stamp on Germany’s future – and Said El Mala looks poised to be one of the first big calls of his reign.

According to Kicker, the new Germany head coach plans to include the 1. FC Köln winger in his maiden squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, with the list due to be unveiled on Thursday. A bold move on paper. A logical one on the pitch.

El Mala, just 20, has already brushed against the national team setup. Julian Nagelsmann brought him into the senior squad for the first time in November last year, but the youngster never got off the bench and is still waiting for his debut. That wait may now be over.

The Köln attacker has started this Bundesliga campaign in the same fearless mood that carried him through last season’s breakout. He scored in Köln’s breathless 3-2 opening win over Hoffenheim, a reminder of his knack for timing runs and finishing under pressure. Illness then kept him out of the 4-1 loss to Stuttgart, a brief pause rather than a setback, before he returned from the bench in the 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen at the weekend.

Klopp will have seen the numbers. Last season, El Mala erupted into the Bundesliga with 13 goals and five assists across 34 league appearances, the kind of end product that turns a promising youngster into a genuine option at international level. He didn’t just survive his first full campaign. He drove it.

Now comes the next step: can he carry that form onto the international stage under a coach who has built his career on high-energy, fearless football?