A new football league could emerge in Europe. Jurgen Klopp, the central figure of the project
Article by Tudor Belivacă – Published on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, 22:41 / Updated on Wednesday, 28 January 2026 22:41
The German Football League is considering the establishment of a competition for players under the age of 21. German media reported that one of the key figures involved in the creation of the new football league is Jurgen Klopp.
The main objective of this project is to reduce the performance gap between the junior categories and professional football in Germany. The proposal was developed by a group of experts, which, in addition to Klopp, also includes Max Eberl, Markus Krosche, Marc Lenz, Andreas Rettig and Sami Khedira. The league would start in the 2026-2027 season, if it is decided to form it.
Jurgen Klopp, involved in a project of the Professional Football League in Germany
Jurgen Klopp first presented this initiative in an interview with Welt am Sonntag as early as last summer, and his proposal has sparked a wide-ranging discussion in German football. The former Liverpool manager stressed at a meeting with journalists in Leipzig at the beginning of October that the project was receiving increasing support. “When we initiated this discussion, we received a lot of excellent reactions. It is obvious that we have to change something,” the 58-year-old German said, according to sport.aktuality.sk.
In his view, an U21 league could help young players at a crucial time in their careers and allow them to play more often in high-level matches before establishing themselves on Bundesliga pitches.
Now the Germans from Bild write that the group of experts has come up with a complete plan: participation is not mandatory, and the first league clubs must decide in the summer of 2026 whether to enter the competition.
However, the DFL has not yet issued any statement in this regard. Whether the ambitious idea of Jurgen Klopp and his collaborators will come to fruition will be seen at the general assembly in March, where German professional clubs will decide on the establishment of the new competition. If this vision gets the green light, the new project can significantly influence the functioning of the academies, as well as the general competitiveness of German football in the European context. If successful, it can become not only an important tool for talent development, but also a model for other countries.
