Munich awaits a response from Jürgen Klopp’s Germany on Thursday, with Serbia arriving at the Allianz Arena for the third round of Nations League Group A2. The new national-team spell has begun with mixed results: Germany drew 1-1 with Xavi Hernández’s Netherlands, then lost 1-0 to Greece, a first-ever Greek victory over the German side.
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Those opening internationals also brought Klopp back into contact with several players from his Liverpool years. At Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena, he shared a memorable embrace with Virgil van Dijk and exchanged warm words with Cody Gakpo.
Van Dijk captained Klopp’s Liverpool after Jordan Henderson left Anfield. During their time together, the club collected major honours, including the Champions League and Premier League.
The more unusual reunion came after Germany’s defeat by Greece. Kostas Tsimikas, the Greek left-back once coached by Klopp at Liverpool, told his former manager that the win had been shaped by lessons learned under him.
“I apologised, but told him I had beaten him because of what he taught me,” Tsimikas explained. “He taught us to fight until the end, so in a way I won with his own methods.”
The Greece international has returned to Liverpool following his loan at Roma and is competing with Milos Kerkez for the left-back position after Andy Robertson’s move to Tottenham. He said meeting Klopp again carried particular meaning after their shared years at Anfield.
“The best part was seeing him again after such a long time,” Tsimikas said. “We experienced so much together, and there is affection as well as respect between us.”
Klopp congratulated the defender but quickly turned his attention back to Germany’s schedule. He told Tsimikas they would meet again in a week, adding that he needed recovery time because another match of final-like importance was only three days away. The Germany coach also encouraged him to keep pushing for a starting place at Liverpool.
Serbia next in Munich
Germany now need a victory over Serbia to restore momentum in Group A2. The Allianz Arena fixture comes after an opening pair of games that have already mixed familiar faces from Klopp’s club past with an unwanted piece of Greek football history.
