Klopp, however, asked for patience from the fans after the defeat, noting that he only recently began working with the team.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Germany manager has taken responsibility for his team’s unexpected defeat to Greece in their 2026/27 UEFA Nations League encounter on Sunday.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, he admitted the team failed to get the better of their opponents due to the decisions he took during the 1-0 loss.
Dimitrios Kourbelis scored the only goal of the match played in Augsburg in the 74th minute, after the midfielder’s shot from the edge of the box deflected in off Joshua Kimmich.
Germany failed to offer much in attack and lacked the energy they showed in the 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday.
They struggled to break through the Greek defence for the opening hour before the visitors struck on the counter.
After the defeat, Klopp was direct when discussing what went wrong, acknowledging that the lineup, team selection, and substitutions were all his responsibility.
“The lineup, the composition, and the substitutions: all of that is 100 per cent my responsibility,” Klopp said.
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He further argued that while Germany might have failed to win the match, they should not have ended up losing it.
The manager explained that his team struggled to find space against a deep Greek defence and acknowledged that a lack of established patterns of play played a major role.
Klopp rejected the idea that the defeat should trigger an extreme reaction around the national team.
“There is no reason for me to fall into depression and say, ‘We are so bad.’ We are not. But we are not that good either,” the manager said.
He also called for his players to be protected, particularly the newcomers to the squad.
“If you want to criticise someone, criticise me. Let the new players develop,” Klopp said.
The German tactician also backed his more established players and urged people not to turn one negative result into a definitive judgment on individual performances.
It was Greece’s first-ever win against Germany
