Klopp denies telling Cologne's El Mala to move to Dortmund

FILE PHOTO - Germany new coach Juergen Klopp sits on the podium during his presentation press conference. Florian Wiegand/dpa Jürgen Klopp officially started as Germany coach on Saturday and quickly denied that he had told Cologne playmaker Said El Mala to move to Borussia Dortmund. Media reports say the deal taking the Germany under-21 star to Klopp's former club Dortmund has collapsed. Previous reports said Klopp had told the 19-year-old - who has yet to play for the Germany senior team - to push for the transfer. "It offended me a bit that people think my first official act would be that I call a player and say, 'By the way, Dortmund, that would suit you well.' Of course I didn't do that," the 59-year-old told the German Football Federation (DFB) TV channel. "That is not my job. I haven't even started working with the players yet." Klopp was Dortmund coach from 2008 to 2015 and led the club to two league titles, a German Cup win and a runners-up spot in the 2013 Champions League. His bond with Dortmund president and DFB vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke was seen as key to him replacing Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned after Germany's third early exit at a men's World Cup in a row. "If in future I get to know a player for longer, work with him for a long time and the player comes to me and asks me what I would do in a certain situation, I would give him advice at any time," the former Liverpool boss said. However, he added that such advice would "not be coloured" by whether he had "ever worked at a club or not - it is only about the player." The Germany coach had also told his unveiling last month that he would quit if the media harassed his family and on Saturday added, "please discipline yourself." Klopp said he had not spoken to any current or future Germany player yet because they have been busy "across the world" with pre-season for their clubs. 'Best job in the world' He has a "three-day summit" with his coaches, analysts and wider DFB team next week. Klopp is getting used to the role and "it doesn't feel strange" but knows "small setbacks" will come given Germany's form since lifting the 2014 World Cup. "At the moment, it is the best job in the world, I haven't lost a game," he joked. He confirmed he would attend the Super Cup between Bayern Munich and Dortmund next Saturday and then games during the first round of the Bundesliga the weekend afterwards. His first match is a Nations League clash against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24. "I want the best players there," he said. "I don't want the match to have a few highlights, instead I want the match to be the highlight." Klopp and the DFB earlier put out social media posts as he parked in his special parking spot at the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt, received his office badge and was given a tour. "How cool is that?" he remarked when seeing an indoor football facility at the headquarters. He wrote on Instagram that his "excitement and desire could not be greater."