Klopp vows to stand by youth at Dortmund

Posted Sunday, July 15, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has highlighted the importance of the club's decision to bet on young homegrown talent.

The Bundesliga champion had four players in the Mannschaft party at the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine, with new signing Marco Reus also part of Joachim Low's plans.

Julian Schieber, Leonardo Bittencourt and Oliver Kirch have also joined Dortmund's ranks this summer, boosting the German contingent in the squad to 73.3 percent.

When asked to compare his team with Bayern Munich, in which 57.7 percent of the players hail from Germany, Klopp disputed the notion that the Allianz Arena outfit is a feeder club for the national team.

"[Bayern president] Uli Hoeness once wanted to tie down Ilkay Gundogan," Klopp told Bild. "He thought Ilkay could develop as well he did with us. In Munich he would have already been broken.

"We are committed to having young players for our first and second teams. We do not lose track of our future needs."

Klopp also backed recent arrival Schieber, who cost Dortmund 5.5 million euros from Stuttgart, to become the side's next player to break into Germany's senior team.

"Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose. Who is next? Julian is certainly a candidate in the coming years," the trainer added.

"He scored seven goals at Nurnberg last season, including two against us!"