Jurgen Klopp's First Win as Germany Coach: Ebnoutalib Commits

Jurgen Klopp’s first big win as Germany coach hasn’t come on the touchline. It arrived on a phone call.

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Ebnoutalib has committed his international future to Germany after a direct approach from Klopp, turning down the chance to represent Morocco, the country of his heritage.

“There were talks with Morocco. But when Jurgen Klopp calls, you can’t say no,” Ebnoutalib said, laying out the decision with disarming simplicity.

From Regionalliga to Die Mannschaft

Two years ago, Ebnoutalib was playing in the Regionalliga with FC Giessen, a long way from the spotlight and even further from the national team picture. Now he stands on the verge of a senior Germany cap.

His rise has been fuelled by a blistering start to the season with Eintracht Frankfurt, where he has already scored four goals. That form caught Klopp’s attention during a visit to the club’s training ground earlier this month, planting the first seeds of what would become a decisive international switch.

The moment it all became real for the striker came on an ordinary day off.

He was on a sports field when his phone lit up with Klopp’s number.

“I didn't think anything of it. I thought maybe he just wanted to ask how I was doing. After the phone call, tears came to my eyes. I thought about where I was just a few years ago and that it's crazy that all the hard work has paid off,” he said.

From that point, the choice was clear.

Klopp’s aura, Germany’s pull

Ebnoutalib had been in contact with the Moroccan Football Federation and spoke with national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi. The option to play for the Atlas Lions was real. Emotionally loaded, too.

“I spoke with him, but it wasn't an intensive exchange. I love both countries; they are both my countries of origin. I will definitely continue to support Morocco,” he stressed.

Yet the pull of Germany, supercharged by Klopp’s arrival as national team boss, proved decisive. Once Klopp called, the decision shifted from complex to inevitable.

The forward has joined a vast 44-man experimental squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, a bold first camp under the new coach. Germany face a high-profile clash with the Netherlands, a stage on which Ebnoutalib hopes to earn his first senior cap and officially tie himself to the DFB.

Inside the camp, he has already felt the shift that comes with a figure like Klopp taking charge.

The atmosphere, he says, is intense. Focused. Different.

“The impression is very positive. He is, of course, someone who brings a great deal of experience and already has a certain presence because of what he has achieved over the years. So, naturally, you have a great deal of respect for him. But he was very nice and very likeable in the conversations,” Ebnoutalib noted.

Fired up for the Nations League

On the training pitch, Klopp has wasted no time imprinting his identity.

“He is already very well known for the way he wants to play football. With high pressing, with a lot of energy and power. He has already fired us up,” Ebnoutalib said. “I think that’s what he is known for, that he is very good at reaching people and getting them on board. He has certainly got us in the right mindset."

High pressing. High energy. High stakes.

For Klopp, the Nations League represents the start of a new cycle with Germany. For Ebnoutalib, it could be the night his story takes another sharp turn — from Regionalliga survivor to fully fledged international in a squad rebuilt around intensity, belief and a coach whose phone call changed his career.