Jonas Urbig has taken the next big step in his career. The 23-year-old FC Bayern goalkeeper was named by Jürgen Klopp to the squad for his first international matches as head coach of the German national team and is thus part of the 44-man roster.
Urbig will have to wait for his debut, however. At his first DFB press conference, Klopp made it clear that Marc-André ter Stegen will be in goal for Germany in the first match under his leadership.
“For now, the one who will play in the first match is Marc-André ter Stegen,” Klopp clarified.
The 58-year-old also justified his decision by citing the performances of the former Barcelona goalkeeper, who transferred to Ajax Amsterdam this summer: “He’s making a very good impression and doing a very good job. He’s also a goalkeeper who plays the game—that’s important too—but first and foremost, it’s about, um, saving shots. And in that regard, I think he’s exceptional.”
Klopp leaves the door open for Urbig
However, Klopp did not want to guarantee ter Stegen a long-term starting spot. Rather, the national team coach made it clear that he wants to base his decisions strictly on performance.
“Everything depends on performance,” Klopp explained. Even experience or the number of international appearances to date should not be a guarantee of future call-ups.
“Playing in one international match doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get a second one. Playing in 100 doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get the 101st either.”
This leaves the door open for Urbig. The Bayern goalkeeper can use the upcoming training sessions to impress Klopp and his coaching staff. Especially with an eye toward the long-term development of the German goalkeeping position, the 23-year-old is one of the most interesting candidates.
For Klopp, Urbig is part of the new generation of goalkeepers
Klopp made it clear that he thinks highly of Urbig in his comments on the state of German goalkeeping. In addition to the Munich native, the national team coach also cited Alexander Nübel, Noah Atubolu, and Mio Backhaus as examples of the quality at this position.
“We still have exceptional talent,” Klopp emphasized.
For Urbig, this first call-up is an important signal, regardless of the current pecking order. At FC Bayern, he is considered the long-term successor to Manuel Neuer and is expected to eventually become the number one goalkeeper for the record-breaking champions.
Now the 23-year-old also has the opportunity to prove himself at the highest level with the DFB. For the time being, the path to the German national team’s starting goalkeeper spot leads past ter Stegen. However, Klopp’s comments also made it clear that the hierarchy is by no means set in stone.
For Urbig, therefore, the main priority for now will likely be to make an impression in training and establish himself permanently within the national team’s roster. After all, under Klopp, the same principle apparently applies to the goalkeeper position: performance is what matters most.