After Extra Time — When ninety minutes isn't enough: deep dives, big guests, and the stories that matter.

In This Episode:

• 🎙️ The Feature: Jürgen Klopp's return to management — and what it means for Germany
• 🗣️ Special Guest: Peter Weis, Bundesliga reporter
• 🔍 Talking Points: Klopp's Germany debut v the Netherlands · his Red Bull & RBL legacy · the rebuild after a shock World Cup exit
• 🔴 The RBL Angle: The man who shaped things at Red Bull, now shaping Die Mannschaft — what he leaves behind at Leipzig

Our Guest — Peter Weis:

🦋 Bluesky: @petervicey.bsky.social

𝕏 X: @PeterVicey

🗞️ Featured Article: "Bundesliga Tactics Check: RB Leipzig" — Get German Football News → ARTICLE LINK

📺 Peter's Vlogs:

1. A matchday at the friendliest club in Germany! SC Freiburg vs VfL Wolfsburg → LINK
2. We went to a game at Germany's most controvesial club! RB Leipzig v Eintracht Frankfurt → LINK
3. 125 YEARS OF 1. FC Nürnberg → LINK
4. 1. FC NÜRNBERG vs 1. FC KAISERSLAUTERN Part 3- Friends, Football, and 50+1 → LINK
5. 1. FC Kaiserslautern vs Schalke 04- THE BETZE RETURN! → LINK
6. Mark vs Peter 2.0 1. FC Nürnberg vs 1. FC Kaiserslautern LIVE VLOG → LINK

Don't Go Anywhere:

• 🏟️ The Digital Terrace: Don't just watch — join the community. Our Discord is the digital equivalent of the standing area; it's where we talk tactics, vent after a loss, and celebrate every goal 24/7. Grab your spot on the terrace here: https://discord.gg/jE6ZzwcCYu
• 📅 Next Up: RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt (MD5) — Sat 10/10, 18:30 CEST Red Bull Arena
• 📥 Get Involved: Got a take on this one? Send it via SpeakPipe or socials — we'll play the best in the next main episode's Digital Terrace.
• 🗣️ Join the Show: Want to represent your club or share your RBL take? Book a guest spot here: https://rbltalk.captivate.fm/booking
• ☕ Support the Show: Help us cover running costs here: https://rbltalk.captivate.fm/support

Partners & Credits:

• 🤝 Sponsors: Inquire Today!
• 🔗 Affiliates: Captivate | Descript | Restream
• 🎵 Music: Andrii Poradovskyi (Pixabay)

He told us he was finished, burnt out, stepping away.

2

Maybe for good.

3

Turns out finished came

with a return date.

4

Jürgen Klopp is back.

5

On a touchline, the man who lifted

up Dortmund, conquered Europe with

6

Liverpool, spent the two years as

the mastermind behind the Red Bull

7

empire, is now the manager of Germany.

8

And here's why it matters to us.

9

Because the national job, Klopp had

a real hand in shaping our club.

10

So tonight, what's he

leaving behind at Leipzig?

11

What's he building with Die Mannschaft?

12

And does the heavy metal football

still play at international level?

13

To help me make sense of it, I've

pulled in a proper Bundesliga reporter.

14

And brace yourselves,

a Kaiserslautern man.

15

You'll want to stick around for this one.

16

Peter, brilliant to finally

get you on the terrace.

17

Worth the wait.

18

Peter Weis: Thank you.

19

For- I'm, uh…

20

It's a pleasure to be here,

and I apologize once again for

21

my, uh, absentmindedness in, in

missing our previous appointment.

22

Justin Crozer: Not a problem, Peter.

23

You don't need to, uh,

apologize for anything.

24

I understand you're a very busy,

uh, person, so that's okay.

25

For anyone who doesn't know you

yet, uh, give the listeners the

26

quick version who you are and your

work covering German football.

27

Peter Weis: Oh, absolutely.

28

Uh, my name is, uh, Peter Weiss,

if you would like to pronounce it

29

in English, or Peter Weiss if you'd

like to pronounce it in German.

30

And I'm originally from the

football-mad town of Kaiserslautern.

31

Uh, that is a footballing

giant in the German southwest.

32

Uh, people think of

Kaiserslautern, oftentimes they

33

think of a, a military base.

34

Uh, and I am indeed half

American and half German.

35

But I am the son, the only son sired by

two rather eccentric professors, uh, a

36

German mathematician and an American,

French, and Italian literary professor.

37

And it took me some time to, uh, realize

that my life's journey led me to football.

38

Uh, but as s- a son of someone who

worshipped logic and, uh, one person

39

who worshipped logic and another

person who worshipped poetry, I

40

found out, uh, rather later in life

that it was an absolute perfect fit.

41

So I've been covering the Bundesliga.

42

I've been covering international

football for 25 years now.

43

I began as a hobby blogger.

44

And I've been covering the world's

best footballing beat, the Bundesliga,

45

for The Runner Sports, Bulinews,

and now Get German Football News.

46

I'm entering my eighth season.

47

So, uh, it's a pleasure, of

course, uh, to be on your pod,

48

and we have a lot to talk about.

49

We can talk about Leipzig.

50

We can talk about Lautern.

51

We can talk about Klopp.

52

We can talk about whatever you like.

53

Uh- Well, there- Simply fire away.

54

Justin Crozer: There is a lot to

get through, Peter, so before we

55

do get into that, I have a bit of a

tradition of intro- introducing guests.

56

I'm not sure if you've,

you've seen any of my work.

57

So I would like to just s- start,

touch on your origin story.

58

Let's go right back to the start.

59

How did you come to

support Kaiserslautern?

60

Is it a lifelong inherited passion,

or was there a specific moment that

61

pulled you into the Betzenberg?

62

And I do apologize, I

might butcher some names.

63

Peter Weis: Well, to be from

Kaiserslautern, uh, is to have

64

Fritz Walter, uh, in your blood.

65

Uh, if you're born in the shadow of

this amazing stadium that sits on the

66

Betzenberg hill, uh, there really is

no other stadium like it in the world.

67

Uh, it just sort of thrones over

the city of Kaiserslautern, which is

68

only a city of about 50,000 people.

69

But all around in the Pfalz and Deep

Pfalz, uh, there's, uh, a great deal of

70

membership and support for Kaiserslautern.

71

The Pfalz being, of course the English

translation is the Rhineland-Palatinate.

72

Uh, but in any event, uh,

it was love at first sight.

73

I was born in Kaiserslautern.

74

I spent my first years there.

75

Um, as a family we sort of moved back

and forth between Germany and the

76

States, so I was educated in both places.

77

But, uh, Lautern is herzblut.

78

It is home.

79

Um, it is the only football club that I

know of where if you go to it you'll meet

80

plenty of, uh, American GIs but you'll

also meet these deep Pfälzer, uh, Waldman.

81

Palzer Waldman as you would say in

the local dialect who speak, um,

82

barely comprehensible German to

somebody who only speaks Hochdeutsch.

83

Uh, but it's, it is the club for me.

84

It is, it is the home for me.

85

It is, uh, it embodies and exemplifies

everything that I personally identify

86

with as both a person and a football fan

87

Justin Crozer: That's a very

fantastic story there, Peter.

88

And I, I do also want to know what's

the, the single most memorable

89

moment you've ever experienced

as, as a Lautern supporter?

90

Peter Weis: Well, um, there's a chant.

91

Uh, 1997 I was, uh, 14 years of age.

92

Uh, 1998 I should say, when, uh, Lautern

became the only German club to be

93

promoted and then win the Bundesliga,

the Meisterschale the very next year.

94

So the chant is,

95

um, translated loosely, um, the,

the story, uh, is irreplicable.

96

Every kid knows what happened.

97

Uh, after we were promoted we

won the German championship, and

98

that is only FC Kaiserslautern.

99

So there's that, of course, when

I was, uh, in my teenage years.

100

Uh, I would still say that 2008 was a

little bit more memorable for me because

101

at the time we were about to get relegated

into the, uh, the German third division.

102

And, uh, we didn't really realize

what was going on that year

103

because they had just founded the

German third division that year.

104

Prior to that, uh, after the

zweite Bundesliga you got relegated

105

directly into the Regionalliga.

106

So we really thought

we were going nowhere.

107

And, uh, we, uh, had a match on the

last match day of the season, uh,

108

against Jürgen Klopp's Mainz, no less,

which had already achieved promotion.

109

Uh, we won 3-nil and, uh, after that

the, um, the party was, uh, was on.

110

Uh, and we just partied

so deep into the night.

111

Uh, we celebrated not being relegated,

uh, to the third division, uh, as if

112

we had won the championship itself.

113

And, um, yes, that was amazing.

114

Oh, excuse me, not…

115

It, it was not over, Jürgen Klopp's

Mainz had, uh, were promoted

116

that year, but it was, uh, it

was over Köln, uh, that we won.

117

Uh, of course to rub salt in the wound

we, we lost to Köln, uh, a couple of

118

years ago when we might have been promoted

back up to the, uh, the top flight.

119

Um, but yes, that was,

that was so memorable.

120

So memorable and I drank so

much afterwards that I, I, I

121

got the, the, the team mixed up.

122

One's only, uh, one's only young once

and, uh, and that was, that was to me as

123

exciting as, as winning the championship.

124

Uh, even more so because I

was, I was a little older, I

125

was a little more cognizant.

126

I was, I was 25 years of age at the time.

127

Uh, and I spent the entire weekend

in Lautern just, just relishing

128

in the glory with, with my fellow

129

Justin Crozer: Betze.

130

For the more global audience who's

not really familiar with the, the

131

demographics of Germany, uh, who…

132

where is Kaiserslautern based,

and also who would be your

133

main rivals traditionally?

134

Peter Weis: Uh, Mainz are the

main rivals traditionally because

135

Mainz are technically the capital

of this, uh, Bundesland, this,

136

this German federal state known as

Rheinland-Pfalz or, or the Palatinate.

137

Uh, but they are more,

um, the, the Rheinhessen.

138

So, so the chant goes in

Kaiserslautern, uh, scheiß null

139

fünf instead of Mainz null fünf.

140

Uh, and there's lots of fan songs

that, uh, denigrate Mainz, you know,

141

as sort of co-opting, uh, the Pfalz.

142

The, um where I'm currently based now,

Karlsruhe, uh, which is, which is where

143

my father is from, um, there is a rivalry

between, uh, Karlsruhe and Kaiserslautern,

144

although I have to say when I was a

kid it wasn't a very, very big rivalry.

145

Uh, but these days, uh, now that

both Lautern and the KSC, Karlsruher

146

Sport-Club, have been in the, in the lower

divisions, uh, it's gotten quite serious.

147

And, um, I actually take my father,

uh, to the derby day matches at the

148

Betzenberg, and I go to the ones

here at the KSC, and, uh, security is

149

very, very tight in both instances.

150

You're not allowed to wear the

colors of the opposing club.

151

Uh, only non-alcoholic beer is served in

the stadiums and, and things like that.

152

So the FCK-KSC rivalry has really

burgeoned in the last few years.

153

Uh, but traditionally the main

rivals are Mainz which are, uh, the

154

richer club, which are technically

a Palatinate club but they're

155

more Rheinhessen, uh, type people.

156

And if you ask most Lauterners, uh,

who they hate most, uh, who they

157

resent most, it's going to be Mainz.

158

Justin Crozer: Well, uh,

ho-hopefully it's not RB Leipzig.

159

I mean, we're probably,

uh, far up there onto that.

160

But, uh, anyway, w- I've got actually

a, a nice bridge into that as, uh,

161

you've mentioned, so, and a cheeky

one before we do get going properly,

162

how do you and the Lautern fan base

generally actually feel about RB Leipzig?

163

And be completely honest, we can take it.

164

Be completely honest.

165

I love a- asking, I love

asking this to all my guests.

166

Peter Weis: Well, um, you know-

167

Justin Crozer: Don't hold back

168

… Peter Weis: when it comes, if you

ask any German football fan, uh,

169

what is their most hated club, half

of them will say Hoffenheim and

170

the other half will say RB Leipzig.

171

And the reason for this, of course,

is the lack of history, the lack of

172

tradition, um, the fact that this is

a corporate club, uh, or these are

173

corporate clubs funneled by corporate

money, uh, and they're not traditional,

174

uh, fan base clubs under 50-plus one.

175

Now, um, I should say that I was

always one that tended more towards

176

hating Hoffenheim because I believe

that, uh, like many Germans did,

177

that it was kind of nice that the

East, uh, had some representation.

178

Because after all, a lot of people

don't realize, uh, that Leipzig not only

179

has, uh, enormous cultural significance

in the history of Germany, you know,

180

this is the city, uh, uh, where Bach

composed, where Goethe, uh, wrote.

181

It was actually the city in which

the initial DFB was founded.

182

Um, many, many Germans were f- okay

to turn something of a blind eye

183

to, to Leipzig and say, "Okay."

184

You know, by the time that Leipzig

got promoted to the Bundesliga, I

185

think it had been seven years since

we had an East German club there.

186

And some Germans were s- would

say, "Okay, you know, we, we

187

don't have VfB Leipzig anymore.

188

Uh, you know, we can't really get behind

Lokomotive Leipzig or Chemie Leipzig,

189

so it's okay that we have this club."

190

Um, what happened with FT- uh, 1.

191

FC Union Berlin's promotion is that erased

a lot of that goodwill because for then

192

we had an East German club that had a

tradition which was somewhat pro-Western.

193

This was the club of Nina Hagen,

for example, and, and also her

194

stepfather, Wolf Biermann, Biermann.

195

So, um- Yeah, once Union, uh, got

promoted, then people said, "Well,

196

the east has some representation.

197

We can go back to hating Leipzig again."

198

Um, I personally, uh, think

that the problem could be

199

solved by the fact that…

200

I mean, look, after all you also

have to realize this is an Austrian

201

company that has come into Germany

and funnelled this, this money.

202

So there's historical

implications there as well.

203

Um, you know, technically speaking, uh,

people, the locals in Leipzig, uh, can

204

apply for membership, and they can, uh,

you know, apply to, uh, they can run for

205

the board, and could have a say in their

club, and, and could do things locally.

206

So I, it- why they don't

is not necessarily clear.

207

I think that, um, there's still

a lot of loyalty to Chemie and

208

Lokomotive, uh, in the city.

209

Um, some fans of Leipzig maybe consider

it too expensive or too much of a

210

bother to, uh, uh, to buy a membership

or to, you know, actively, uh, take

211

an interest in their local club.

212

We'll see, uh, what the future holds.

213

Um, I'd, I would say that as somebody

who has attended RB Leipzig at,

214

at your urging, I found it to be

a, an interesting mixture of…

215

And Mark and I did the, the vlog there.

216

You know, first and foremost,

we went to Leipzig seeing, you

217

know, can we see some museums?

218

Can we see some history?

219

For whatever reasons, I

mean, well, we know why.

220

It's because of the, the

influence of the former East.

221

It's, it's not there.

222

There's a plaque commemorating

that the DFB was founded there,

223

but there's no real museum.

224

There's no real, uh, you know, there's

nothing there that documents the rich

225

history of German football in Leipzig.

226

And as we went to the, uh, as we closed

in on the Red Bull Arena and I, you know,

227

I was doing Hollywood football because I

saw all these spotlights and, and things

228

like this, I could feel the history

of the old Zentralstadion a little bit

229

because after all, the Red Bull Arena

was, was built, uh, on those ruins.

230

Uh, and when I got into the stadium and

I saw the Kurve, and they did a little

231

bit of choreo for us on that particular

match day, and they do some nice choreos

232

on, on other ones, um, I could faintly

feel the, the faint echoes of, of German

233

football culture, at the very least

something that was intuate, uh, you

234

know, German football culture, um, sort

of incubating in that RB Leipzig Kurve.

235

But still, it felt a lot more like

attending an American sporting event

236

because of all of the spotlights,

the laser lights, the music, the,

237

um, you know, things like that.

238

So yeah, it was an interesting

experience, and it was thanks to

239

your fandom of our, of our little

podcast that, that we went there.

240

And I saw something of a young

mixed hybrid, uh, and, and

241

something that could, you know,

with time, uh, have the potential.

242

It's never going to be a

traditional football, German

243

footballing club with a history.

244

Um, but with some more local involvement,

um, with some more volunteerism, with

245

some more commitment to local causes, and

perhaps most importantly when it comes

246

to German football, some more protests.

247

I don't know what fans of

Leipzig can protest against.

248

Everybody's protesting against them, but

249

Justin Crozer: That's true.

250

Protest against the protest?

251

I don't know.

252

Peter Weis: You know, you could

protest against the protest perhaps.

253

Justin Crozer: Yeah.

254

Peter Weis: You know, if we, if we

see something like that, um, uh,

255

Leipzig can eventually with time

sort of move into the category of

256

Wolfsburg and Leverkusen, which are

not well-liked clubs, not, you know,

257

well-supported, uh, by German neutrals.

258

But, um, you know, the hatred isn't there.

259

Um, you look at those clubs and,

you know, if you spend some time

260

in the Nordkurve in Leverkusen, uh,

or if you, uh, uh, you know, they

261

can really get it rocking there.

262

Or if you, you go to Wolfsburg

and meet some of the ultras and

263

I think they kind of have a good

self-deprecating sense of humor.

264

Uh, so Uh, it's quite…

265

It's, it's entirely possible that,

that views of RB Leipzig, and I'm

266

talking after decades, uh, can

shift a little bit- Centuries maybe?

267

Justin Crozer: Yeah.

268

Who knows?

269

Peter Weis: Well, I think, a- as I said,

you know, more locals involved, um, more

270

membership, more volunteerism, um, more of

an active role in, in community pursuits

271

and stuff like this by the locals.

272

I mean, the company does feed

some money into the community.

273

Uh, the GmbH does, the Red Bull GmbH.

274

But, um, some more of that.

275

Uh, and also, you know, w- I…

276

Why can't Red Bull get together

with, uh, with Chemi and Lokomotive

277

or something like this and, and

build a football museum in Leipzig?

278

Uh, that would be really cool

because there's a lot of really

279

interesting football in Leipzig.

280

The old VfB Leipzig, they were the

original, uh, uh, German champions.

281

Um, the East German clubs,

uh, uh, they have all sorts of

282

fun history to, to contribute.

283

Uh, the fact that the DFB was

founded there, there's no excuse

284

for not having a museum there.

285

So if the Red Bull GmbH could,

uh, uh, give us a, a nice football

286

museum Um, that, that commemorates

the history of German football in,

287

in Leipzig, uh, that would, that

would do a lot towards, uh, swaying

288

my and many German opinions as well.

289

Justin Crozer: I know, uh, the

owners of Red Bull or anything

290

don't watch my podcast or listen

to it- … that I'm aware of.

291

But, uh, if you do stumble

upon this, if you want some

292

brownie points, listen to Peter.

293

Uh, so- So I hold that thought on

Leipzig because the man who did as

294

much as anyone to shape them has

just walked into the Germany job.

295

So let's talk Klopp.

296

Absolutely.

297

He's just taken charge of his

first competitive game, his Germany

298

debut away to the Netherlands.

299

First impressions, what did the 90

minutes tell you about his Germany?

300

Peter Weis: Well, before we get to the

90 minutes, we have to talk about his

301

introductory, uh, press conference.

302

Um, I was so excited and I was so

full of patriotic fervor upon watching

303

that, that I wrote 11 articles.

304

I think I might have only promoted,

uh, five or six on, on social media.

305

Sometimes I forget to promote

my articles on social media.

306

I, uh, for no other reason than I'm just

exhausted after a long day of writing.

307

Um, but, uh, you know, Klopp

was the bundestrainer that

308

we sort of always wanted.

309

Um, if we travel back to 2006,

uh, the Sommermärchen, that was

310

the German-hosted, uh, World Cup.

311

Your boy, Timmy Cahill, in

Kaiserslautern doing a little KO

312

there on the, uh, on the corner flag.

313

I remember.

314

Absolutely.

315

So, um, 2006 was a magical

summer for, for Germany.

316

Uh, it was a time in which, uh,

Germans felt that we could express

317

our patriotism comfortably, and

Jürgen Klopp was a part of that.

318

He was a TV pundit during that tournament.

319

And we were all impressed with his

tactical know-how, and we sort of always

320

wanted him to be the bundestrainer.

321

So now finally, uh, all these

years, uh, all of his hair implants

322

and, uh, dentures installed later,

uh, he is, uh, he is here for us.

323

And, uh, when he conducted this

press conference, uh, he brought…

324

He tried to bring the

patriotic fervor back.

325

I should say that during the Euros

326

to recapture that spirit at all.

327

The team was not good.

328

Our politics are broken.

329

The trains didn't run on time.

330

It was, it was just simply not,

you know, a, a, a tournament

331

that made Germans feel proud.

332

Uh, so he conducted this press conference

in which he had this, um, this hat,

333

you know, eine von 83 Millionen, one

of, uh, 83 million, and that harkened

334

back to a Max Giesinger song from, uh,

335

uh, Euro 2016 hype song that compare-

that, uh, uh, also was used on, like,

336

highlight reels of our 2014 World Cup win

So this was very much a bring back the

337

magic, uh, tour for him, Jürgen Klopp.

338

And, uh, I was one of these

guys that was really…

339

I mean, I was into it.

340

I saw the hats.

341

I was having a conversation

with a German friend of mine

342

and talking to him about this.

343

"Oh, it's so great.

344

It's a hat."

345

You know, Klopp referenced the, the

recent, um, elections in Sachsen-Anhalt

346

and said that it's time for, for us as

Germans to take the flag back and to

347

make sure that patriotism doesn't fall

into the wrong hands, and for us to be

348

proud of our, uh, nationalmannschaft,

much in the same way that we're proud

349

of our basketball teams, uh, our tennis

stars, uh, our, um, track and field

350

athletes and, and things like this.

351

There's been a lot of national

pride associated with sport, uh,

352

particularly this summer, but not with

the, uh, nationalmannschaft anymore.

353

So I was all whipped up in this

fervor until somebody pointed out to

354

me, a German friend of mine pointed

out to me, "You know he just created

355

some Make Germany Great Again hats.

356

What are you,

357

what are you doing, Peter?"

358

And I had to think for a second.

359

I was like, "Oh, sh- goddamn right."

360

Justin Crozer: Yeah, that,

that sounds a bit corny, yeah.

361

That's no good.

362

No good.

363

Peter Weis: Yeah.

364

Um, and, uh, watching the game last

night, uh, yeah, I mean, it just, it…

365

The, the German press was, was

very, very kind, uh, to the team.

366

I mean, I was, I was pretty underwhelmed.

367

Uh, uh, the, uh, the Dutch outshot us

XG-wise by a three to one, uh, ratio.

368

Uh, we probably, I don't know if we should

have kept playing, uh, to score that goal

369

when, when Brabbie was, uh, was injured.

370

Uh, we were very, very lucky to have that

first Dutch goal, uh, uh, disallowed.

371

And, um, you know, there was, uh

There was a lot of choppy play.

372

I mean, overall it was an entertaining

match, and there's a lot of

373

positives you can take away from it.

374

Um, I think that's the big news in the

Bundesrepublik obviously is Klopp's

375

44-man XXL squad in which he called

up all of these players, including,

376

uh, 11 guys, you know, who, uh, had

never even been called up before.

377

And the stories are…

378

Look, I could go on all

day about the stories.

379

I mean, the stories write themselves.

380

When you look at, you know, somebody like

Philipp Treu, uh, or Yunus Emre Talib or

381

Mika Bauer, uh, or Derry Scherhant of,

you know, the, the, the Freiburg quartet.

382

I mean, it, it was a story that, that

essentially, uh, you know, wrote itself.

383

You're just like, it, it was a veritable

who's who of who for a lot of people who

384

don't really follow German football in

the ultra detailed granular way that I do.

385

Um, I had to explain to also, you know,

anybody that I was talking to who these

386

players were, 'cause most people had,

had just simply, you know, they were,

387

they had not heard of them, uh, before.

388

Like Jannik Engelhardt, Hennes Behrens,

the casual German football fans, they

389

don't know who these, these people are

390

But of course all of them have, uh,

a great story, and I think Troy, uh,

391

you know, our, our latest solution

at right back, we- we've tried, um…

392

And I'm sure as a, actually as a, as a,

as a Leipzig fan, I'm, I've always been

393

a huge, uh, Reid Lebakug enthusiast.

394

Justin Crozer: Mm.

395

Peter Weis: Very, very surprised that

he didn't get a call-up this time.

396

Uh, another Leipzig play- two

Leipzig players unfortunately

397

for, uh, for injury's sake.

398

I mean, Ued Hrugo is, is one

of my personal favorites.

399

I, I, I couldn't even bring myself

to write the latest injury article

400

about him because it made me too sad.

401

Uh, Gruda was, was also unable

to, to participate due to

402

that, uh, abdominal injury.

403

Mm.

404

So, you know, I think Troy, as our

latest, uh, solution at right back,

405

now that we've moved Kimmich back

into midfield, and he did a good job

406

pulling the strings in that 4-1-4-1.

407

Mm.

408

Um, a lot of people are, are latching

on, you know, to that positive, uh,

409

that Troy played a very, very inspired

match, that Shada played a very,

410

very inspired match on the left.

411

Um, but there's, there's

a work in progress.

412

I mean, uh, Adeyemi,

um, missed a big chance.

413

Uh, Nene Brown on the left-hand

side, uh, had his issues.

414

Uh, both, uh, Schloterbeck and Tah

made many, many defensive errors.

415

Um, Gnabry with that turnover

that allowed the late equalizer,

416

which was well-deserved.

417

They could have beat us

three to one or, or worse.

418

So-

419

Justin Crozer: Yeah

420

… Peter Weis: for, for somebody who

was, uh, in make Germany great again

421

fever- … it, it was something

of a disappointing performance.

422

But as the, um, as the proverbial,

uh, uh, uh, you, good, good enough for

423

government work expression goes, it, it

was good enough for, for government work.

424

Justin Crozer: Well, you mentioned

Udrago and Gruda there, so I just

425

wanna bring it back to, uh, the, the

Red Bull exit of Klopp just for a

426

moment before we touch on some- Mm-hmm

427

more international football.

428

'Cause before Germany, Klopp

was the head of football, uh,

429

at Global Soccer at Red Bull.

430

A real say across the whole

project, Leipzig included.

431

What does he actually leave behind

there, and how big is a loss is

432

it to the setup, do you think?

433

Peter Weis: Well, uh, you and I

have been talking about this a

434

little bit in email correspondence.

435

Um, you know, it is treated by

fact, uh, as the, uh, by the German

436

journalistic establishment that, uh,

Klopp was one of the biggest backers of

437

firing Ole Werner, even though he had

delivered a highly successful season

438

and, and Champions League football

and, uh, installing Martin Demichelis.

439

So, uh, you know, this is- This is

something that's a little bit problematic.

440

Um, I think that, yeah, I mean,

if Klopp's, uh, idea that Leipzig

441

needed a sexier trainer with more

hair and a foreign accent, uh, is

442

not working out so terribly well.

443

And, uh, Daye Michaelis has,

has lost perhaps his, his most

444

important ally, uh, in this.

445

I mean, we all know that, that Oliver

Mintzlaff, um, the, the sporting CEO

446

of, of Leipzig, uh, you know, he really

demands loyalty, and indeed there

447

were, uh, the negotiations stretched

on for, for weeks about what sort of

448

severance package Leipzig were gonna get.

449

Uh, in addition to fiduciary benefits,

uh, they also, you know, got to,

450

to host a couple Germany matches

if, if memory serves correctly.

451

Mm, that's correct.

452

So yeah, I…

453

Yeah, uh, he basically, uh, I mean,

it's not It's not definitively proven

454

that Klopp's fingers, fingerprints

were all over this coaching change.

455

Uh, but it's treated as, as

fact by a lot of respected, uh,

456

German footballing media outlets.

457

And when, when you look at what Demichelis

has, has brought to Leipzig, I mean, it's,

458

it's simply far too, far too inconsistent.

459

Uh, you know, the results home and

away, the tactics, what is he doing

460

experimenting with this 4-2-3-1?

461

I don't understand it.

462

I, uh, you know, I think Klopp's

legacy behind at, uh, at Leipzig,

463

he, he left an incomplete project.

464

Mm.

465

Uh, and Germans are not necessarily

going to shed a tear or feel

466

sorry for Leipzig in that regard.

467

Justin Crozer: No, of course not.

468

No.

469

Um, as, as, as you wrote in your

GGFN preview, uh, that Klopp was

470

rumored to be one of the biggest

advocates of Werner's dismissal.

471

Yeah.

472

Talk me through that.

473

How much sway did he really have at

Leipzig, and does sacking a coach

474

who'd just made the Champions League

look any better with hindsight now?

475

Peter Weis: It doesn't

look good to me at all.

476

Um, you know, we joked, uh, Germans

joked when, when Klopp initially

477

accepted this position, um, that he was

going to have no influence whatsoever.

478

I mean, first of all, head of

Global Soccer, what, what, you

479

know, what kind of title is that?

480

Uh, I mean, I can remember at the

time, I mean, this was a huge debate

481

within German football because as

I, as I mentioned earlier, Klopp was

482

always our preferred bundes trainer.

483

We wanted him in that job.

484

And, you know, for him to, to step

away from, uh, these tradition-rich

485

clubs that he worked for, I mean,

he only worked for three clubs,

486

Mainz, uh, Dortmund and Liverpool.

487

All of those, you'll never

walk alone clubs incidentally.

488

Mm.

489

A little coincidence there.

490

So for him to all of a sudden go to this

plastic club, people were like, "What?

491

What is he thinking?

492

What is he, what is he doing?"

493

And the, the general consensus

at the time was, well, he's, he's

494

old, he's, he's in semi-retirement.

495

He wants sort of a cushy job in, in

which, you know, uh, he gets to go to

496

Brazil, he gets to go to the States, uh,

and scout one or two players and draw a

497

real oversized paycheck for, you know,

essentially being an overpaid consultant.

498

And for the first year that he was there,

I mean, there, there pr- Uh, there wasn't

499

any, there weren't any discernible Klopp

fingerprints that, that I could see.

500

I mean, occasionally he would conduct

a sideline interview from, uh, from

501

Leipzig training or something like that.

502

Uh, but he never really had anything to

say about the team or the project, so it,

503

it seemed like he was fairly disconnected.

504

You know, maybe at that time, uh, they

were still working out what his precise

505

role might be because, uh, I mean, if

he's head of global soccer, that means

506

he's, he's, uh, responsible for all of

the other clubs in the RB, uh, cosmos.

507

Justin Crozer: So

508

Peter Weis: anyway, uh,

year two was different.

509

I think that, uh, Klopp inserted

himself, uh, into this discussion

510

as, well, uh, he ultimately couldn't

resist in the final analysis.

511

And, uh, despite the fact that it's

not been 100% proven, I think that

512

there's very, very strong evidence

that he involved himself, uh, in the

513

decision to, to get, uh, uh, Wanner

out and, uh, to bring in Demichelis.

514

You know, what was interesting

about Demichelis's appointment

515

was that Leipzig technically stole

somebody from Bayern, which it-

516

it's normally the other way around

517

The right way around, yeah, that's right.

518

You know?

519

Um, but, uh…

520

And, and I'm personally

surprised at, um…

521

You know, because I, I cover all

of the press conferences and the

522

interviews and, and things like

this and so on and so forth.

523

What, what is up with Demichelis's German?

524

I mean, he played for Bayern

for s- what, seven years.

525

He coached, uh, the, uh, FC

Bayern II, the reserve squad.

526

I, I…

527

W- what happened to his German?

528

I, I would, I assume that he would be,

529

uh, uh, very fluent in it.

530

And you don't have to necessarily be

fluent in German to be a successful,

531

uh, uh, Bundesliga coach, particularly

not in a club like Leipzig.

532

I mean, most of his players, uh,

uh, speak English, uh, or, or

533

Spanish or, or something like this,

so, so he can get away with that.

534

But he's…

535

I mean, the, the question of,

of communication comes up.

536

And, um, some working German is,

is required f- I think personally

537

for, for a, uh, a trainer, uh, as

you call them, a manager, to be

538

successful- … uh, at, at a Bundesliga.

539

Well, I, it's … The, the

manager is the front office guy.

540

The manager of, of- … RB, uh,

Leipzig is Marcel Schäfer as far as- Mm

541

as I'm concerned, and the

trainer is Martin Demichelis.

542

Um- Yeah, I, it's, you know,

uh, what's a good example?

543

I mean, look at what happened

with Albert Riera in Frankfurt.

544

I mean, he came in with all of

this bluster and, and all of this,

545

uh, "My players, they respect

me, and I am," you know, and this

546

combative nature with journalists.

547

You know, maybe it's not so much important

that, that the, uh, that the trainer, uh,

548

speaks German for the sake of the players,

but it's also for the sake of dealing with

549

the German media, which can be incredibly

harsh, perhaps a little cliquish as well.

550

Um, but they can, uh…

551

I think already the German

media is, is, is talking about

552

De Michaelis' broken German.

553

As a matter of fact, not that

Sport-Bild is, is the definitive

554

authority when it comes to this stuff.

555

Of course they're gonna be

sensationalist and stuff like this.

556

But I, I cannot read a Sport-Bild

article about Leipzig without them

557

mentioning De Michaelis' German.

558

Including this, this interview

I was reading just this morning

559

with Antonio Nusa, where they ask

him about the language barrier

560

four, you know, five times.

561

And he says, "Oh, it's okay.

562

It's okay.

563

We speak in English.

564

We speak in Spanish,"

blah, blah, blah, blah.

565

Mm.

566

Yeah.

567

Ole Werner's a good coach.

568

Werder Bremen should have renewed with

him, and I see no reason, uh, whatsoever

569

behind his, uh, uh, Leipzig dismissal,

uh, other than, uh, s- Klopp and, uh,

570

perhaps some of his, you know, part

of his administrative gang, uh, wanted

571

somebody who could be a little bit more

appealing to an international audience.

572

That's probably the reason behind, uh,

Werner's sacking and De Michaelis's,

573

uh, installation, and I don't know

that it's going to work long term.

574

Uh-

575

Justin Crozer: I said from the…

576

Sorry, s- cut you off there, Peter.

577

Yeah.

578

I said from the beginning that, uh, I

thought that Ole Werner was done dirty

579

by RB Leipzig, and I'll stand by that.

580

Uh, to- Yeah … you know, get you back

to Champions League football and then,

581

you know, all of a sudden just drop him

like a sack of potatoes, so to speak.

582

Mm-hmm.

583

It's, uh, it's not a good look, and

no, no one deserves that, especially

584

after doing such a good job.

585

Mm-hmm.

586

And, uh, the last quick, uh, question

I've got here before we go into

587

the Germany under Klopp is- Mm-hmm

588

from the outside, is Leipzig

better or off with Klopp gone

589

from the Red Bull structure?

590

Peter Weis: Probably so.

591

Um, you need some coherence,

uh, in that structure.

592

And, uh, Minslav and, uh, and Schaefer.

593

I mean, Schaefer's actually a

pretty damn good administrator.

594

I mean, he was with Wolfsburg.

595

I covered his years at, at Wolfsburg.

596

Of course, he couldn't get, uh,

Wolfsburg back to the Champions League.

597

Uh, but, uh, he was one of the more

coherent, uh, sporting directors that,

598

uh, Germany's Green Company team had.

599

Uh, when I covered his transfer

windows, he at least tried

600

to put a thesis together.

601

Um, and I think that, um,

Leipzig's transfer window was

602

rather good, uh, this year.

603

I mean, of course you don't have to, to…

604

When somebody offers you 120 million or

whatever it was for Diomande I mean- Yeah.

605

… you know, you don't have to work

terribly hard to say that you…

606

I mean, the, just a, a huge pile of money

just, just fell- Mm … uh, into your lap.

607

Uh, so I mean, when it comes to assigning

transfer window grades, in Leipzig's

608

case you have to take that into account.

609

I mean, that's, that's not, uh…

610

I, I don't know how much credit

Schaefer or anybody deserves.

611

Uh, uh, but they, they brought

in Diomande, uh, last year.

612

They paid 20 million for this, this guy

who was only valued at, at, uh, at 1.5

613

million or something like this,

and then they flipped him.

614

And, uh, you know, meanwhile, uh, some

of the transfers that, uh, that didn't

615

work out so well, uh, uh, last…

616

They also, they flipped, uh, uh,

Suleiman Sané You know, they, they

617

really, he did a good job getting

this, this, this roster down.

618

Also with the loans for Biciabu, Elmas,

Getreda, and, and, and all of this stuff.

619

Um, and I like the additions.

620

Uh, Esteve is, has been good.

621

From what I've seen of, uh,

Gio, he's, he's been good.

622

Um, uh, the, the Moroccan, the

central midfielder, Onyewe.

623

El-Nouy?

624

Justin Crozer: Yeah.

625

Uh,

626

Peter Weis: yeah, El-Nouy, yeah.

627

I think that that's, that's

been, uh, a prime addition.

628

Uh, you know, not to mention,

I mean, Nkunku's not, he, he's

629

not quite back in form yet.

630

Uh, but to have him and his balloons

back in the Bundesliga is, is definitely

631

a benefit for all of us, and we'll see

more of those balloons, uh, I'm sure

632

before the, b- before the season's out.

633

So, uh, f- yeah, I, I

wouldn't say that, that, uh…

634

Yeah, I mean, you, to have Klopp's

sort of m- subdued dominance,

635

if that makes any sense, uh, in

the, uh, uh, in the fold, uh, is

636

probably not good, uh, for the club.

637

And, you know, you think back

to, um, uh, Max Eberl during,

638

during his time, uh, with Leipzig.

639

I mean, that was also, uh, not a great

time for, for club administration.

640

And I think that Mintzlaff, uh,

ultimately made the right move in,

641

in terminating Eberl at that time

because of all the Bayern rumors

642

and just saying, "You know what?

643

I, I don't want, uh, my, my chief,

uh, personnel executive, uh, actively

644

negotiating a move to, to a better club.

645

Uh, I don't care if

he's flirting with them.

646

Uh, I don't care if he's, uh, you

know, just, just basically holding

647

some casual talks with them.

648

I, I want him out.

649

I want somebody who's committed to

this club, uh, and to this city."

650

So it, it probably is, uh,

yeah, I would say that it's, it

651

works out well for both sides.

652

It works out better for Leipzig

that Klopp's no longer there.

653

Um, and it, it, 'cause it streamlines,

it streamlines the administration.

654

And, uh, it works out better for

Germany because we have the Bundes

655

trainer that we always wanted,

who has a little ways to go.

656

Uh, but we have him and we're happy.

657

Justin Crozer: Well, I just wanted

to, uh, quote your recent article

658

that you published, uh, at the start

of, uh, this, this, uh, interview.

659

And, uh, to close with,

"Without Klopp in the RB Cosmos,

660

Dimitris has one ally less."

661

That's quoting you from your, from your

article, which is a fantastic read.

662

I'll make sure to drop that

in the show notes as well.

663

Mm-hmm.

664

But with the inheritance for Klopp

with the national team, he's walked

665

into a side that has crashed out

of the World Cup in the round of 32

666

to Paraguay, and Nagelsmann's gone.

667

What's the state of the German

national team he's inherited?

668

How big of a rebuild is this?

669

Peter Weis: I mean, it's everything.

670

That's why, you know, we talked a great

length at the beginning of this podcast

671

about the, uh, the press conference, uh,

the, the 44-man roster, uh, the fact that,

672

uh, Klopp said that we need to take the

flag back and make sure that patriotism

673

doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

674

The fact that he emphasized that,

um, you know, we need to be proud of

675

our Nationalmannschaft once again,

uh, the same way that we're proud

676

of our basketball teams, uh, tennis

stars, and, uh, track and field

677

athletes, the, the other sources of

sports patriotism that we're, that

678

we're pulling from at the moment.

679

Um, now I kind of outlined the rough

history of it all, going back to

680

the 2006 Sommermärchen, and that

was the pinnacle of German pride.

681

Uh, and then the, the Euros, uh, in

682

to be the nadir, uh, or the low point

of Germans and what they thought

683

about, about their football team.

684

The, the World Cup gave us a new

low Um, as a matter of fact um,

685

there was a vlog, uh, that Mark and

I did that, uh, we weren't able to

686

publish on YouTube, but I, I put, uh,

I put on, uh, X and, and Facebook.

687

Uh, you know, I put it,

published it as a reel.

688

Um, I bought tickets to what I

thought would be Germany, France

689

in Philadelphia on the 4th of July,

and that, uh, elimination, uh, in

690

the round of 32 meant that I had

tickets to, uh, France, Paraguay.

691

Goddammit.

692

And I'm, I'm still absolutely

furious about this.

693

Uh, as as…

694

And I met many, many

Germans at that match.

695

As a matter of fact, I met a

couple of guys that were holding

696

up a sign that said, "I bought

my tickets before Germany lost."

697

Um, you know, I was never behind

Jurgen, uh, uh, Julian Nagelsmann's

698

appointment as the Bundes trainer.

699

Uh, and most Germans were not.

700

Uh, he came up through Hoffenheim.

701

He put his years in at RB Leipzig,

and he did his time at Bayern.

702

But the boy wonder, um, was

coaching, you know, uh, rich, uh,

703

Ralf Rangnick influenced sides,

and was always one who made things

704

far too tactically complicated.

705

And when it came to his dealings

with the press, particularly when

706

it came to players like Undav or…

707

You know, I mean, he was just simply

too combative, he was too arrogant.

708

He was too young, uh, to

be our Bundes trainer.

709

Bundes trainer is we have

a word for it for a reason.

710

The Bundes trainer is as important as

the Bundeskanzler, the Bundesbahn, the

711

Bundespräsident, all of these things.

712

It's if you got Bundes in front of

your name, you're representing Germany.

713

Uh, so Klopp has inherited, um, what once

was the pride of the nation, uh, and is

714

now um, after three disappointing, uh,

World Cups, uh, and two disappointing

715

Euros, just, just something that, that

Germans are, are not behind anymore.

716

So what it means, this, this 44-man roster

and, and all of the, the new faces and,

717

and, uh, and things like this, this is…

718

He is, uh, basically hitting the

reset button, the restart button,

719

much in the way the Leipzig

fans did, um, what was that?

720

The opening day, uh, last season.

721

Justin Crozer: Yeah.

722

Peter Weis: Uh, coming back from that.

723

They, they put up a really kind

of cool little choreo there.

724

It was-- I forget if it was a

restart- The button pressing one.

725

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

726

Justin Crozer: I think it was

restart or reset or something.

727

Yeah.

728

Yeah.

729

Peter Weis: I forgot if

it was restart or reset.

730

But in any case, I appreciated that.

731

And, uh, you know, I appreciated

that they took the time to do

732

that, and that's what Klopp's doing

with our nationale Mannschaft now.

733

You know, there are a number of

veterans, um, what's a good example?

734

Matthias Ginter, uh, of Freiburg, who

is in fantastic form Uh, but, uh, he

735

admitted in an interview that he had

had a conversation with Klopp, and Klopp

736

specifically said, um, "I'm not taking

you because you will be 34 years old

737

when the next major tournament arrives."

738

So he revealed that he actually got

a call from the Bundes trainer, uh,

739

who told him, "It doesn't matter what

kind of form you're in, you're not

740

coming along 'cause you're too old."

741

Um, one feels a little bit bad about that.

742

Uh, one feels especially bad

for Oliver Baumann, poor guy.

743

Oof.

744

Cannot get, you know, his

inheritance to, to save his life.

745

Um, one feels a little bit bad for

Dennis Undav, uh, being passed over this

746

time because of his, uh, his weak form,

uh, at the beginning of the season.

747

But, uh, well, we don't

have much of a choice.

748

In, in Klopp we trust.

749

Um, you know, of these 44 players that

he's called up, um, you know, uh, not

750

only Philip Treu, who we discussed

earlier, was the only new one, uh,

751

the only brand-new one who started.

752

You could probably, uh, say that Kevin

Schade, um, having been capped so few

753

times, uh, and, and not really figuring

into Nagelsmann's plans, uh, was sort of

754

a, you know, a nouveau, uh, uh, talent.

755

Um, and of course, Havertz's injury

in the, in the game last night brought

756

Ebne- Ebnu Talib into the fold.

757

Uh, so yeah, I mean, he's

758

uh, uh, your German casual football

fans do not know these names.

759

You would think that they would, but

they don't know who H- Hennes Berens

760

is, they don't know who Yan- Jannik

Engelhardt is, uh, they, they don't

761

know who Max Rosenfelder is, uh,

they don't know who Mika Bauer is,

762

they don't know who Vitaly Janelt is.

763

They…

764

Th- he's brought in, uh, plenty

of new faces to indicate that

765

this is, that this is his project.

766

He's starting from scratch.

767

Uh, to his credit, something that he

said in the press conference which

768

I didn't mention earlier was that,

uh, he's not going to be one of those

769

trainers who asks for more time.

770

You know, he's, he's not gonna be one

of those who, who sort of makes an

771

excuse and says, "Well, we've only

had a couple of training sessions.

772

I haven't had a chance to

get the squad together."

773

He's not asking for more time.

774

Uh, he's not asking

for the public's trust.

775

He's just saying, "Okay,

here's what we got.

776

Here's what I'm trying to do.

777

Um, you can take it or leave it."

778

Justin Crozer: As an Australian-born

German, most of my, uh, fellow countrymen

779

in Australia, as in Australians, um, they-

… don't know half the German football

780

or Bundesliga or anything like that.

781

So when I tell them something, they

just look at me weirdly and go, "Huh?"

782

So, uh, 'cause me, my, for me, my

national team is Germany even though I

783

was born here, so but that's just me-

Oh … 'cause all my family were all

784

from Germany, so that's, uh, you know,

785

Peter Weis: that's- Well, Justin, we're,

we're pleased to have you, my good man.

786

Well, why don't you, why don't you talk

about your thoughts then in that case?

787

I mean, if it, it's, it's as

much your team as it is mine.

788

I mean, what-

789

Justin Crozer: Yeah … what do you say?

790

So me, me personally, um, I, I think

that, uh, the golden era was, you know,

791

going, when I was growing up, you know,

when first watching the, you know,

792

the World Cup and everything went 2006

up until, you know, the, you know,

793

2010s, 2014s and things like that.

794

And I just slowly watch, you know,

what I still classify the, you know,

795

the world's best team, bias as well.

796

Mm-hmm.

797

Mm-hmm.

798

Um, in national football that, uh,

the slow decline, it hasn't been

799

just we've fallen off a cliff.

800

It's been a gradual slow decline.

801

Peter Weis: Mm-hmm.

802

Justin Crozer: And I've even looked at

it from the outside looking in, you know,

803

'cause I'll get up at, you know, early

hours of the morning and, and watch these

804

games, you know, um, and things like that.

805

We-- I remember we had things which

I was a little bit annoyed about,

806

but again, I live in Australia.

807

Uh, so like they had like gathering

events to watch the Australian team

808

at 4:00 AM and I'm at home instead

screaming watching the Germany games.

809

But Um, so we've…

810

That's, that's me anyway.

811

So look, it's, it's a, it's a long

time coming and I've, uh, it was

812

more disappointment for me looking

at it like how, how did we get

813

it, let it get this bad, you know?

814

Mm-hmm.

815

'Cause, you know, football is,

is so rooted in German culture.

816

It's, you know, it's like

here in Australia, you know,

817

it's their AFL, you know?

818

They s- they call that

football and I go, "No.

819

Fußball in Bundesliga."

820

"That, that's for me, that's football.

821

None of this stuff," you know?

822

But that's, that's, you know, from me.

823

But, uh, uh, again, like I, I'm intrigued

and happy that Klopp is there and

824

compared to what he did at RB Leipzig.

825

Yes.

826

I'm more happy that he's at the national

le- level, and I'm looking forward to what

827

he's going to do 'cause I've got a couple

of things that we'll touch on in a moment.

828

I do wanna talk about

the Klopp way, though.

829

Mm-hmm.

830

'Cause he's brought, uh, Krabbes.

831

I, I apologize if I'm saying

any of this wrong 'cause you're

832

the better linguist than I am.

833

Linders and Bender with him.

834

Uh, what does- Mm-hmm … Klopp

Germany actually look like?

835

Does the heavy metal high

press football translate to the

836

international game where you get the

players a handful of days a month?

837

Peter Weis: Um, we shall see.

838

Um, I thought that the, the pressing

last night was probably the only

839

thing that was consistently solid.

840

Uh, and it was that that produced several

sort of end-to-end phases, uh, which were

841

eminently entertaining, uh, in the match.

842

Um, you know, to bring on Sven Bender,

that's, that means a lot, uh, to

843

Germans who, who like the Bender twins.

844

And remember, uh, Lars's, uh, goal

845

best goals that was ever, uh, scored

for the German, uh, national team.

846

So that's a statement.

847

Uh, I, I mean Whether or not, uh,

he can bring his brand of football

848

to the national team is, is also…

849

You know what?

850

I mean, uh, something else I didn't

mention was, you know, I mean, obviously,

851

uh, Klopp, uh, he's not a total modern

football trainer in that he's not

852

obsessed with data and, and running

routes and, and things like this.

853

But he is, uh, specifically a,

a zonal marking, uh, trainer.

854

And he mentioned last night, uh, when

discussing some of the defensive errors

855

that, uh, that individual players make,

he said, "Well, I can't expect much of

856

them just yet because we're not doing…

857

You know, we haven't had time

to train in the, the sort of

858

modern, uh, zonal marking scheme.

859

So the best that I can hope for them is

that they, they can do one-on-one against

860

specific players in, in man marking."

861

And Troy, uh, made his fair

share of mistakes, but he was,

862

he was marking Cody, uh, Gakpo.

863

So uh, Klopp, you know, admitted that

and said, "Look, I mean, what, what

864

do you want him to do exactly against

one of the world-class players who

865

once played for me at Liverpool?"

866

Mm-hmm.

867

Uh, and, uh, yeah.

868

So the, the real zonal marking system

that we wanted, that Klopp wants to,

869

to integra- I mean, to, to get the

national team in, we're not going to see

870

that during this international break.

871

I don't think we'll see it during the

one in November, maybe even March.

872

Um, you know, obviously being a, a,

a national team trainer is, is…

873

I mean, it's a different galaxy.

874

Uh, and if you look at, um, what happened,

uh, with the last, uh, three club trainers

875

that we had, uh, I mean, Hansi Flick…

876

Well, he worked with Löw at the DFB as

an assistant coach, uh, before he went to

877

Bayern and ultimately took on that job.

878

Um, but Nagelsmann was a straight

club coach who, who proved

879

himself, uh, incapable of, of,

uh, of coaching the national team.

880

So I mean, we have these,

these club trainers now.

881

Uh, and, and Löw ironically enough was

one of the, the worst club trainers,

882

uh, that, that you'd ever witness.

883

He was…

884

He, he worked in Karlsruhe here,

uh, where I, my German home base is

885

for a little while, and coached the

KSC in a, in a terrible fashion.

886

Um, but he proved a, you know, sort of

a perfect fit for the national team- Um,

887

because he could hide out in Freiburg,

uh, for most of the year and, and then

888

just do some, some general scouting.

889

Uh, yeah, we'll have to see.

890

I mean, one thing that Klopp has done

a lot better than Nagelsmann is that,

891

uh, he is attending not only all of the,

as many Bundesliga matches as he can.

892

I mean, you see him at two or three

Bundesliga matches a, a weekend,

893

but he's actually going to the club

training sessions and, and holding

894

conversations, uh, with the players.

895

Plenty of photographic

evidence to support that.

896

Um, I think that that's very, very

important, and he talked about that.

897

He's talked about that in his comments

to the press as well, that his job, the

898

way he sees it as a Bundes trainer, is to

develop, uh, a close working relationship

899

with these players, to stay in touch

during the international breaks, to

900

routinely visit them, uh, at their clubs,

not just visit the matches, but, um, visit

901

them in the club training sessions and,

and, and carry on, uh, conversations with

902

them and have relationships with them.

903

In that sense, he may be the most active

Bundes trainer ever because, uh, even

904

successful Bundesliga or Bundes trainers

like, like Löw, um, or like to a certain

905

extent, uh, Rudi Völler or like, uh,

Berti Vogts, I mean, you know, they

906

famously just called the players up

when they needed them and only, uh, uh,

907

interacted with them when they were at

the, uh, uh, what we call the Adidas

908

City camp there in, in Herzogenaurach.

909

Um, it's…

910

Yeah, Klopp has given every indication

that he's going to be probably

911

one of the most active player

relations Bundes trainers ever.

912

And so we have that, and we have the

zonal marking, and I think we'll see the

913

influence and the impact of that, mm, uh,

next summer, certainly next calendar year.

914

We're not going to see it immediately.

915

Justin Crozer: W- with the names,

who are the players that suits

916

down, uh, to the ground, and who

might find life harder under him?

917

Any Leipzig lads in the

th- in his thinking?

918

Obviously, you did mention two

earlier with, uh, Gruda and Odrago

919

as, uh- Mm-hmm … anyone else, not

even just not from Leipzig as well?

920

Peter Weis: Hmm.

921

Interesting question.

922

Uh, okay, so Gruda and, uh,

Ouedraogo are the ones that, that,

923

that pop to mind immediately.

924

I…

925

Ouedraogo, th- what he did for club

and country before incurring that, that

926

injury last year, it's so heartbreaking.

927

H- um, I did mention, uh, Baku, um,

who has actually gotten off to a very,

928

very good start this club campaign,

and was recalled to the German

929

national team, uh, last November.

930

Uh, Ouedraogo actually, uh, referenced

Baku as, um, as one of, uh, you know,

931

his role models I think last fall.

932

I'm- I've always been

a huge Riedle Baku fan.

933

I mean, since his…

934

I know he played for my Kaiserslautern

rivals Mainz, that's where he's from.

935

His, his actual name is Boté, uh, Baku.

936

Uh, but his father, uh, nicknamed

him Riedle after Karl-Heinz Riedle.

937

So I've, I've always thought that he

is, um, an amazing athlete and deserves

938

to represent our country, and probably

could have, um- Constituted our solution

939

to the right back problem but, you

know, he just never seemed to, to get

940

a chance to consistently ingratiate

himself, uh, into the, the national team.

941

Uh, Hendricks, uh, is a player

who I always considered to

942

be, uh, severely underrated.

943

I think when we did our, um,

post-season review show, uh, and I

944

challenged myself to pick, uh, players

from, you know, different clubs.

945

I didn't wanna pick, uh…

946

When we were doing, like, our, our 11

of the season, um, you know, I wanted

947

to pick a player from every club.

948

I think I actually picked up Hendricks.

949

Again, injury has been,

you know, an issue for him.

950

Uh, Klostermann's national

team days are, are over.

951

That's clock has- He, he

952

Justin Crozer: barely

plays at club level too, so

953

Peter Weis: Yes, true.

954

Yeah.

955

Uh, that was…

956

Yeah, we had…

957

I mean, for, for a while there

we had, uh, uh, the two…

958

We had a Leipzig, uh, fullback, uh-

Mm … axis there, um, with, with

959

Klostermann and, and who was…

960

Shit.

961

Justin Crozer: David Raum?

962

Peter Weis: Not Raum.

963

Uh, before Raum.

964

Justin Crozer: No, I mean before that.

965

Uh.

966

Peter Weis: Yeah.

967

It was…

968

Oh, God, who was the other one?

969

Who was the other, uh, Leipzig fullback?

970

I, I guess it wasn't that, uh,

so important as I, I f- It's…

971

The, the name just es- escapes my mind.

972

Justin Crozer: Yeah, I mean- It

escapes my mind too, so it, it's okay.

973

Peter Weis: Yeah.

974

Um-

975

Justin Crozer: And,

and I'm the specialist.

976

Peter Weis: I'm gonna look it up now.

977

Or, or it's gonna- Yeah … or it's

gonna come to me, uh, uh, later on

978

this afternoon and I'm gonna be…

979

Halstenberg for crying out loud.

980

It was Kloste- Yes.

981

Yes, yes … Klostermann and Halstenberg.

982

Yes.

983

Yeah.

984

That's what

985

Justin Crozer: it was.

986

He also played center back at

one point for us as well, so

987

Peter Weis: Yeah.

988

True, true.

989

Yeah.

990

Um, yeah, with Raum, uh, well, I

mean, he could be this, this assist

991

meister, you know, with his crosses.

992

But club form and, and national

team form is, has oftentimes,

993

uh, uh, been inconsistent.

994

He's really had some great times

for both club and country, uh, after

995

that delayed start, uh, for both.

996

You know, af- when he…

997

After he moved from Hoffenheim,

uh, over to Leipzig.

998

But, uh, yeah, I mean, he's not our

starting, uh, left back anymore.

999

That's, uh, that role belongs to

Nene Brown Unless uh, Bayern keep

00:56:15,115 --> 00:56:19,755

playing Brown as a 10 uh, to make

room for Davies and then, and then

00:56:19,755 --> 00:56:21,665

Raum can, can get back in there.

00:56:22,435 --> 00:56:29,955

Uh, yeah, I mean, uh, oh, if there's

Rice, uh, if he can get healthy

00:56:29,955 --> 00:56:31,445

and I believe that he could play.

00:56:31,685 --> 00:56:34,565

I mean, the problem is, is that

midfield is so crowded for the German

00:56:34,565 --> 00:56:36,225

national team and it always has been.

00:56:36,795 --> 00:56:41,955

And with this great Kimmich debate

on, on moving him back into midfield,

00:56:42,495 --> 00:56:44,935

I, I'm not the only German who

has had enough of this debate.

00:56:44,935 --> 00:56:49,335

I mean, I've really had enough of,

of Kimmich hates playing right back.

00:56:49,795 --> 00:56:53,245

Nagelsmann said that he had to

subordinate himself to country.

00:56:53,875 --> 00:56:56,475

You know, Kimmich wants

to play in midfield.

00:56:56,475 --> 00:56:59,955

He wants to be somebody who's more

of a, of, of a goal scoring threat.

00:56:59,965 --> 00:57:02,485

He wants to be more of a,

you know, pseudo eight.

00:57:03,255 --> 00:57:06,215

Um, I really don't care

what Kimmich wants.

00:57:06,215 --> 00:57:09,465

I mean, he should play where,

where, where he needs to play.

00:57:09,465 --> 00:57:13,125

I mean, uh, with Kimmich, he always has

this huge chip on his shoulder because,

00:57:13,645 --> 00:57:17,465

because people d- he doesn't like how

he was compared to Philipp Lahm like

00:57:17,465 --> 00:57:19,215

they were the same player, you know?

00:57:19,935 --> 00:57:24,897

Um- But, uh, anyways, now what we

saw last night was definitely a

00:57:24,897 --> 00:57:29,427

4-1-4-1 with Kimmich as the, as

the lone six, as the solo six.

00:57:29,677 --> 00:57:32,517

So I don't see, you know, how

you get Reitz back into the

00:57:32,517 --> 00:57:34,437

national team, uh, at this point.

00:57:34,447 --> 00:57:36,147

Hopefully he can get

back on the pitch soon.

00:57:36,797 --> 00:57:40,697

Uh, that's, it's, it's really

unfortunate that he's, uh, the

00:57:41,307 --> 00:57:42,527

injury he's been able to do that.

00:57:43,447 --> 00:57:48,187

I, I think that just about covers

it in terms of, of potential, uh,

00:57:48,187 --> 00:57:52,567

uh, German internationals for, uh,

uh, currently playing for, for RB

00:57:52,587 --> 00:57:56,047

Leipzig, unless, unless there's

somebody I'm forgetting on loan.

00:57:56,047 --> 00:57:56,257

Um-

00:57:56,967 --> 00:58:00,807

Justin Crozer: Uh, no, but is there

anyone else from any other teams that

00:58:00,807 --> 00:58:04,517

you've, Bundesliga or elsewhere that

hasn't made the national team that you

00:58:04,537 --> 00:58:06,627

think is acceptable to jump into that?

00:58:07,317 --> 00:58:11,677

Peter Weis: I mentioned Ginter, uh,

whom I believe, uh, should have, um,

00:58:11,777 --> 00:58:14,057

uh, been taken along this summer.

00:58:14,227 --> 00:58:14,837

Absolutely.

00:58:15,357 --> 00:58:19,947

Um, I mentioned Undav, whom I, I wish

that, uh, Klopp had probably brought

00:58:19,947 --> 00:58:23,757

in this time, despite the fact that

he's, he's gotten off to slow club form.

00:58:23,757 --> 00:58:27,757

He was the, he was the best player

for, for Germany at the World Cup.

00:58:28,187 --> 00:58:32,997

Um, Nagelsmann did himself and

this country a great disservice by

00:58:32,997 --> 00:58:35,737

publicly feuding, uh, with Undav.

00:58:35,827 --> 00:58:38,207

Um, I think Undav should have

been welcomed back into the

00:58:38,207 --> 00:58:39,547

fold immediately by Klopp.

00:58:39,637 --> 00:58:40,987

I think he made a mistake there.

00:58:41,697 --> 00:58:45,647

Um, yeah, those are the only

ones that spring to mind.

00:58:45,647 --> 00:58:49,777

I mean, uh, Julian Brandt is a, is a

complicated issue because he's now,

00:58:49,927 --> 00:58:52,257

uh, uh, playing, uh, off in Holland.

00:58:52,267 --> 00:58:55,547

He's just another one of those guys

that, that Klopp is, is probably

00:58:55,547 --> 00:58:57,047

just says, "Okay, you're too old.

00:58:57,397 --> 00:58:58,557

You're going to be too old."

00:58:58,997 --> 00:59:03,197

Um, I thought that Brandt

should have, uh, been taken by

00:59:03,197 --> 00:59:05,387

00:59:05,767 --> 00:59:09,247

I always, uh, I really, really

like Brandt, and despite his

00:59:09,247 --> 00:59:13,137

form inconsistencies, I think

that he's been, he's been given,

00:59:13,977 --> 00:59:16,487

you know, uh, it's been…

00:59:17,347 --> 00:59:20,187

He's been sort of treated

unfairly, I think, by fans and,

00:59:20,217 --> 00:59:21,577

and the German press alike.

00:59:22,397 --> 00:59:30,353

Uh- Uh, I, I kind of maybe wanted

to see maybe Ragnar Ache, uh,

00:59:30,373 --> 00:59:35,093

former Kaiserslautern player, uh,

current Köln, uh, striker, uh,

00:59:35,213 --> 00:59:37,293

maybe, maybe get a chance as well.

00:59:37,823 --> 00:59:41,833

Um, I don't think that we have

to placate Nick Woltemade at this

00:59:41,833 --> 00:59:43,633

point by giving him a roster spot.

00:59:44,183 --> 00:59:49,033

Uh, he's, he's got enough money and,

uh, the fact that he said he was glad he

00:59:49,033 --> 00:59:51,733

missed that penalty this summer almost

00:59:54,503 --> 00:59:57,983

To my mind at least means you shouldn't

be playing for the German national team.

00:59:58,243 --> 00:59:58,563

Justin Crozer: Mm.

00:59:59,173 --> 00:59:59,543

Peter Weis: What about…

00:59:59,573 --> 01:00:03,613

Well, I mean, as I said earlier, it,

it's also as much your team as it is

01:00:03,613 --> 01:00:06,403

mine, so- Mm … so what are, what

are your thoughts on the matter there?

01:00:06,403 --> 01:00:07,343

I'd be interested to know.

01:00:08,233 --> 01:00:10,313

Justin Crozer: To be blatantly

honest, I don't have anything

01:00:10,313 --> 01:00:11,233

off the top of my head.

01:00:11,613 --> 01:00:15,783

Um- Mm-hmm … I, I'm also looking,

you know, that obviously Klopp's

01:00:15,783 --> 01:00:20,513

looking for longer duration and things

like that, so you've got the core

01:00:20,513 --> 01:00:21,803

that is still, you know, getting…

01:00:21,843 --> 01:00:23,403

They're mature and, and whatnot.

01:00:23,673 --> 01:00:27,103

But I'm also looking for players

that would be, you know, early

01:00:27,103 --> 01:00:32,253

20s as they would get to maturity-

Mm … coming into the later 10 years

01:00:32,273 --> 01:00:37,843

of Klopp's, um, well, legacy mission,

which I'll touch on in, in shortly.

01:00:38,343 --> 01:00:41,853

'Cause to me that looks at it go,

is he going to extend or is he

01:00:41,903 --> 01:00:43,393

going to leave something behind?

01:00:43,403 --> 01:00:43,833

Mm-hmm.

01:00:43,833 --> 01:00:47,763

So, um, because he has signed

01:00:47,783 --> 01:00:49,533

01:00:49,983 --> 01:00:53,293

As a man who's won everything at club

level, going back to the national team

01:00:53,303 --> 01:00:57,473

for the first time since Liverpool, what's

he actually chasing here and what does

01:00:57,473 --> 01:00:59,213

his success look like, do you think?

01:01:00,805 --> 01:01:04,865

Peter Weis: Well, it's not news to

you what our German expectations, uh,

01:01:05,035 --> 01:01:07,235

are when it comes to, uh, tournaments.

01:01:07,235 --> 01:01:09,515

We expect the semifinals, period.

01:01:10,155 --> 01:01:11,845

Uh, that is our expectation.

01:01:11,855 --> 01:01:15,135

Beyond the semifinals, anything

that you can accomplish is gravy.

01:01:15,645 --> 01:01:18,435

Uh, but we want, uh, maximum matches.

01:01:18,465 --> 01:01:23,625

We want maximum opportunities to, to

wave our flags and to, uh, demonstrate

01:01:23,635 --> 01:01:25,905

our safe nationalism and patriotism.

01:01:26,375 --> 01:01:30,985

And since Klopp has taken it upon

himself to, uh, say that he wants

01:01:30,985 --> 01:01:35,325

German football to take the flag back

and the patriotism back, uh, then

01:01:35,325 --> 01:01:39,585

our expectations are the semifinals,

uh, in all tournaments, period.

01:01:39,595 --> 01:01:41,765

That's always been our expectation.

01:01:42,225 --> 01:01:43,065

Again, period.

01:01:43,425 --> 01:01:50,645

Uh, had, uh, Flick or, uh, Nagelsmann

managed to, to reach, uh, the semifinals

01:01:51,165 --> 01:01:55,525

in any of their, uh, uh, in their

tournaments, then that would've been fine.

01:01:55,645 --> 01:01:56,595

We would've kept them.

01:01:57,155 --> 01:02:01,115

Uh, and we even gave Löw a pass for

that group stage elimination in,

01:02:01,155 --> 01:02:06,135

uh, we had reached the semifinals

01:02:06,135 --> 01:02:08,375

in, in every tournament under him.

01:02:08,965 --> 01:02:09,305

Mm-hmm.

01:02:09,305 --> 01:02:11,405

Uh, so yeah, that's…

01:02:11,475 --> 01:02:13,715

Just deliver the semis and we're happy.

01:02:13,715 --> 01:02:15,965

And you, uh, you feel

the same way, I'm sure.

01:02:15,975 --> 01:02:16,385

Uh, do you not?

01:02:16,385 --> 01:02:16,790

Justin Crozer: Absolutely.

01:02:16,790 --> 01:02:17,195

Yeah.

01:02:17,195 --> 01:02:21,145

I mean, I could be cocky enough and say

to win it, but, uh, Well- It's, but you

01:02:21,145 --> 01:02:22,995

know, that's an unrealistic expectation.

01:02:23,005 --> 01:02:25,935

It's nice, but it's not, you know,

something that- Well, if you-

01:02:25,935 --> 01:02:27,415

oh, you don't win, you lose, so.

01:02:27,635 --> 01:02:27,975

Peter Weis: Yeah.

01:02:28,005 --> 01:02:30,405

I mean, if you reach

the semis, you've, uh…

01:02:30,535 --> 01:02:34,035

I mean, of course the, the Euros doesn't

have a third place match, but, um-

01:02:34,165 --> 01:02:34,385

Justin Crozer: Mm

01:02:35,015 --> 01:02:37,225

… Peter Weis: you know, if you reach

the semis in the World Cup, you're

01:02:37,225 --> 01:02:39,455

still guaranteed maximum matches.

01:02:39,965 --> 01:02:43,575

Uh, you know, we've, we, we still

get that third place playoff, which

01:02:43,575 --> 01:02:46,345

Germans actually kind of like, you know?

01:02:46,355 --> 01:02:49,065

A, a lot of- Mm … uh,

uh, people could care less.

01:02:49,615 --> 01:02:54,135

Uh, but, but Germans are, i- if we get

that little extra match, that a- that

01:02:54,145 --> 01:02:57,685

extra chance to, to wave our flags

a little bit, we're, we're content.

01:02:59,715 --> 01:03:02,075

Justin Crozer: Let's say that

he makes it through to that

01:03:02,075 --> 01:03:03,975

01:03:04,075 --> 01:03:06,545

Let's say- Mm … we don't get the,

the final, you know, but we win

01:03:06,545 --> 01:03:09,225

the third place, like the playoff

for, you know, as you- Mm-hmm

01:03:09,225 --> 01:03:10,315

as some people would say.

01:03:10,755 --> 01:03:15,145

Do you think he extends or does

he leave what he's built behind?

01:03:17,041 --> 01:03:20,701

Peter Weis: Yeah, that's an interesting

question because, um, there are

01:03:20,961 --> 01:03:25,121

reports that he kind of had to be

coaxed out of retirement, uh, that-

01:03:25,231 --> 01:03:25,491

Justin Crozer: Mm

01:03:25,651 --> 01:03:28,721

… Peter Weis: he was, he was rather

content with his, with his se-

01:03:29,081 --> 01:03:32,531

uh, semi, uh, uh, retirement

there in, in the Red Bull system.

01:03:33,321 --> 01:03:38,851

Um, on the other hand, we talked about

how, uh, you know, after sort of a

01:03:38,851 --> 01:03:44,311

laissez-faire first year at Leipzig,

Klopp, the competitor in him, uh, woke up

01:03:44,311 --> 01:03:49,091

and, and he wanted to, you know, get his

fingers, uh, more in, in what was going

01:03:49,091 --> 01:03:51,471

on in terms of Leipzig administration.

01:03:52,161 --> 01:03:56,211

And that's probably ultimately why he

didn't need, uh, too much persuading

01:03:56,211 --> 01:03:58,051

to, to take the Bundes trainer job.

01:03:58,751 --> 01:04:01,551

Um, you have to take his age into account.

01:04:01,591 --> 01:04:05,901

I mean, of course thanks to the hair

transplants and the, uh, and the dentures,

01:04:06,501 --> 01:04:11,401

um, he, he does, uh, cut a, uh, a

younger figure and, and he, he's never

01:04:11,531 --> 01:04:14,241

hidden, you know, uh, that stuff either.

01:04:14,241 --> 01:04:17,011

I mean, it's not like he has

plastic surgery on the sidelines

01:04:17,011 --> 01:04:17,691

or something like that.

01:04:17,691 --> 01:04:21,321

Klopp has always been forthright,

uh, about what he's done there.

01:04:21,321 --> 01:04:26,881

01:04:27,481 --> 01:04:28,441

No, 62, uh,

01:04:30,581 --> 01:04:31,391

years old.

01:04:36,401 --> 01:04:40,331

Yeah, I, I don't know too

many German trainers who have,

01:04:40,421 --> 01:04:42,451

who worked into their 70s.

01:04:42,681 --> 01:04:48,191

I mean, there's guys like Felix Magath

who, who just can't let it go and, and

01:04:48,241 --> 01:04:53,631

they, they, you know, they, they appeal

for jobs, uh, that they have no business

01:04:53,631 --> 01:04:57,201

appealing for whenever they pop up in

the Bundesliga or something like that.

01:04:57,861 --> 01:04:59,681

Um, yeah, uh,

01:05:03,221 --> 01:05:08,671

I mean, yeah, I, I think he would

probably continue on until his,

01:05:08,681 --> 01:05:10,871

until his, uh, uh, late 60s.

01:05:11,741 --> 01:05:14,651

Um, and because after all this is

gonna be the last, this is, this

01:05:14,651 --> 01:05:15,951

will be the last job that he has.

01:05:16,491 --> 01:05:19,321

Um, you know, the last

coaching appointment that he

01:05:19,321 --> 01:05:21,061

has certainly in any case.

01:05:21,141 --> 01:05:22,821

I mean, uh, I, I couldn't see him…

01:05:23,261 --> 01:05:25,961

I mean, who, what is there left

to coach after you've coached the,

01:05:25,961 --> 01:05:27,191

uh, the German Nationalmannschaft?

01:05:28,481 --> 01:05:31,721

Um, you know, I don't- To me, that's the

01:05:31,721 --> 01:05:32,091

Justin Crozer: pinnacle.

01:05:32,631 --> 01:05:33,451

Peter Weis: Well, sure.

01:05:33,531 --> 01:05:38,471

And I mean, Jogi Löw is another guy

a little bit like, like, uh, uh,

01:05:38,531 --> 01:05:43,091

Magath who is constantly almost like

trying to sell himself for jobs.

01:05:43,151 --> 01:05:46,691

I mean, he's, he's always said,

"Oh, the rocking chair isn't for me.