Klopp to Include Köln Star El Mala in Germany Squad

Jürgen Klopp is ready to put his own stamp on Germany’s future – and Said El Mala looks set to be one of the first big calls of his tenure.

According to Kicker, the new national team boss plans to include the 1. FC Köln winger in his maiden squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, with the list due to be unveiled on Thursday. It would be a significant show of faith in one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting young attackers.

El Mala already brushed the edge of the national team once. Julian Nagelsmann called up the then-teenager in November last year, but the 20-year-old never got on the pitch and is still waiting for his debut. This time, the door might open a little wider.

The start of his season has underlined why he is back on the radar. El Mala scored in Köln’s breathless 3-2 win over Hoffenheim on the opening weekend, a reminder of his penalty-box timing and composure. Illness then ruled him out of the 4-1 loss to Stuttgart, a brief pause rather than a setback, before he returned from the bench in the 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen at the weekend.

His numbers from last season tell the rest of the story. El Mala broke through in the Bundesliga in style, registering 13 goals and five assists across 34 league appearances. For a 20-year-old in a side fighting at the wrong end of the table, that output turned heads.

Now Klopp, stepping into the Germany job with a reputation for trusting and elevating young talent, appears ready to reward that surge. If El Mala’s name is on Thursday’s squad list, the next question writes itself: how long until he swaps promise for a first cap?