Oliver Baumann has been left out of Jürgen Klopp’s first Germany squad for the upcoming international window, but the Hoffenheim goalkeeper says he remains available if recalled.
- Klopp selected 44 players across two groups for four Nations League fixtures.
- Germany face the Netherlands on Thursday, 24 September, Greece on Sunday, 27 September, Serbia on Thursday, 1 October, and Greece again on Sunday, 4 October. Each match is scheduled for 20:45.
- Baumann, 36, was omitted after Hoffenheim’s 2-0 Europa League defeat at OFI Crete.
- The goalkeeper said he had known about the decision for around a week.
- He has made 13 Germany appearances, including eight in 2025.
- Baumann had previously been expected to be Germany’s World Cup No. 1 before Manuel Neuer returned from international retirement in the summer and was immediately installed as first choice by Julian Nagelsmann.
- He described the latest omission as less painful than the summer decision and linked it partly to a wider rebuild.
What it changes in the Bundesliga week
Baumann returns to Hoffenheim with his international future uncertain, but not closed. “I knew for a while and have to accept it, even if I do not like it,” he said after the match in Crete. “They are taking a different route.”
The veteran said Neuer’s return had affected him more. “What happened in the summer hurt much more,” Baumann said. He had been preparing for a leading role with Germany before the former Bayern Munich goalkeeper came back two years after retiring from the national side.
Baumann does not believe age is the deciding factor from his side. “I feel very fit, regardless of how old I am,” he said. “If he needs me, I will be there. If not, I have to accept it.”
Germany’s new set-up will also be watched closely by the Hoffenheim captain. Klopp’s unusually large selection brings several potential debutants and a different format for the camp. Baumann called it “a completely new way of organising a training camp — perhaps a scouting process as well.”
For now, the omission pushes Euro 2028 in the United Kingdom further from view for Baumann. His immediate task is Hoffenheim’s Bundesliga programme, after a difficult European opening in Crete.
