Klopp wants Germany's football team to 'reclaim the flag'

Jürgen Klopp engaged with a number of topics at his squad announcement press conference, and was not afraid to discuss politics Image: Hannes P. Albert/AFP

Jürgen Klopp used his first squad announcement as Germany's new head coach to deliver a stirring speech in favor of what he described as "positive patriotism."

"I'd like to reclaim the flag for myself — or for us," Klopp said.

"I want us to always wave it in a way that makes no one think: 'What's wrong with you?'" he said. "But, rather, that people simply get the feeling that you're happy and understand how lucky you are to have been born, raised or moved to this wonderful country."

This was an apparent reference to the recent state election in Saxony-Anhalt , which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won in a landslide victory.

Klopp said of the election "that some people probably thought it was OK, while many others thought: 'Good heavens, what's going on there?"

The former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool head coach was quick to say he is not a political expert and that he doesn't want to talk about politics at every press conference, but that he doesn't want to "leave national pride to the wrong people."

Rather than leaving that up to misinterpretation, something Klopp said was possible, he turned toward the concept of "positive patriotism."

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