Schweinsteiger warns Klopp that Germany have 'reached mediocrity' after home defeat to Greece

Jurgen Klopp’s Germany were beaten 1-0 at home by Greece in the Nations League on Sunday, leaving the new national team manager without a win from his opening two fixtures. The defeat followed a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in Klopp’s first game in charge, and prompted a blunt assessment from German football legend Bastian Schweinsteiger.

“Let me reiterate, we are no longer a top team,” Schweinsteiger said on German broadcaster ARD. “We’ve reached mediocrity. We no longer have those players. We have to get away from that.”

Klopp was appointed Germany manager in the summer, replacing Julian Nagelsmann following the country’s early exit at the World Cup. The former Liverpool boss named 44 players across his first two squads as he casts a wide net in search of the right personnel for his system — a decision Schweinsteiger said he understood.

“That’s why Jurgen Klopp — and it’s the right thing to do — has to look at everyone who could be considered, in order to develop a team that will then play Jurgen Klopp’s style of football,” the former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder said. “Hopefully, we’ll see that in November.”

Despite his criticism of the squad’s current quality, Schweinsteiger urged patience with the new head coach. “Jurgen Klopp is still finding his feet. This is only his second international match. These things take time. He’s not a magician. You can’t expect the team to leave the pitch here with a 4-0, dominant victory against Greece. This is hard work.”

Klopp has two more matches before the international break concludes. Germany face Serbia on Thursday evening in Munich, before travelling to Greece on Sunday for a rematch — the final fixture of the window.