Key Points
- Vitaly Janelt, who is a 28-year-old defensive midfielder at Brentford, has secured his first call-up to the Germany national team coached by Jürgen Klopp after playing no matches in the Bundesliga or even the senior international team so far in his career.
- Almost ten years back, in autumn 2016, there was a serious setback in the career of Vitaly Janelt with the DFB after he was banned from participating in the training camp of the Under-19 national team in Albania for an incident with a shisha pipe followed by a burn mark in his hotel room along with his teammate Idrissa Touré of RB Leipzig.
- In wake of that scandal, then-sporting director of RB Leipzig Ralf Rangnick had punished Janelt severely for his misbehavior by banning him from the academy and boarding school, giving a match ban to him and a fine along with the community service of day-care center.
- Having failed to make the starting line-up with VfL Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga, six years ago Janelt made the move to the English club, Brentford, joining them on a cheap transfer price of €600,000 and helping them get promoted into the Premier League.
- Since his move to Brentford, Janelt has played 166 games in the Premier League (232 games in total competitions, 16 goals and 16 assists in total) and even became the captain of the team recently, receiving praises from Bees manager Keith Andrews calling him the “glue” of the team.
- Given that Germany’s double pivot has been playing poorly in their last few games under Jürgen Klopp, Janelt can become a very valuable player for the German national team before their upcoming match against Serbia.
Bristol (West London Times) October 1, 2026 – Almost a decade after being dismissed from Germany’s youth setup following a high-profile disciplinary scandal, Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt has completed an unusual career path by earning his debut senior call-up to the DFB squad under manager Jürgen Klopp.
Despite amassing 166 Premier League appearances and captaining his English club, the 28-year-old Hamburg native arrives in the national team fold without having ever played a single minute in the German Bundesliga. As Klopp searches for stability in his team’s midfield structure ahead of a crucial fixture against Serbia, Janelt’s journey from academy outcast to English top-flight mainstay presents a compelling narrative of perseverance, redemption, and tactical utility.
How did Vitaly Janelt’s career face a major crisis in 2016?
The foundation of Janelt’s professional journey was severely threatened in the autumn of 2016 during a European Championship qualifying assignment with Germany’s Under-19 team in Albania. As reported by Jochen Tittmar of Goal.com, Janelt and his then-RB Leipzig teammate Idrissa Touré were sent home early after allegedly bringing a shisha pipe into a hotel room where a burn mark subsequently appeared.
Reflecting on the severe fallout, Jochen Tittmar of Goal.com noted that an enraged Ralf Rangnick acted ruthlessly upon their return to Leipzig. Rangnick expelled both teenagers from the academy and boarding school, banned them from team training and matches until the end of the year, and ordered them to complete hundreds of hours of community service at a day-care centre working 7am to 3pm shifts, alongside financial fines.
The scale of the punishment sparked significant debate at the time because both players strongly denied the accusations. As outlined by Jochen Tittmar of Goal.com, Janelt and Touré maintained they had neither brought nor smoked the shisha themselves, claiming instead that the room had been visited by other players, including 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund talent Felix Passlack. Furthermore, neither player held a clean disciplinary record, having previously faced allegations of turning up late for training and unauthorized pizza deliveries to the boarding school.
Addressing the incident nearly a decade later, Vitaly Janelt stated, as reported by Jochen Tittmar of Goal.com:
“At the end of the day, I’m ten years older now. I have a young daughter, everyone grows up at some point. Especially boys. Women are a bit calmer when it comes to doing stupid shit. I think everyone has to learn from their mistakes. I realised that relatively quickly. What happened, happened.”
What led to Janelt’s breakthrough in English football?
Following the scandal in Leipzig, Janelt attempted to rebuild his career at VfL Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga. However, during three and a half years with the club, he struggled to consistently secure a regular starting position, making only 54 appearances in German professional football.
Everything changed six years ago when Janelt moved to west London to join Championship side uk/local/hounslow/brentford/">Brentford for a bargain fee of just €600,000. As documented by Jochen Tittmar of Goal.com, the defensive midfielder quickly established himself as a central figure, helping the Bees secure promotion to the Premier League for the first time in club history during his debut season.
Janelt quickly made himself indispensable in the top flight, consistently clocking at least 30 appearances per campaign—interrupted only by a metatarsal fracture last season. Having recently signed a contract extension until 2030, Janelt has earned widespread respect within the squad. Brentford coach Keith Andrews described him as the “glue” that holds the team together, highlighting his ability to win duels, protect the back line, and provide structural security in build-up play.
Summarizing his footballing philosophy, Vitaly Janelt noted, as quoted by Jochen Tittmar of Goal.com:
“Individual quality can be bought, mentality and togetherness cannot… If you don’t work hard together as a team, it’s difficult to be competitive.”
He added regarding his role:
“I think I’m good for a team, I see myself as a team player. I do the dirty work for the lads in front of me.”
Can Vitaly Janelt become Jürgen Klopp’s tactical trump card?
Despite winning the European Championship with Germany’s Under-21s in 2021 as a squad player, the path to the senior national team remained blocked for years. Before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Janelt was reportedly included on Hansi Flick’s preliminary 55-man list, but a call-up never materialized.
Discussing his absence from the spotlight, Vitaly Janelt remarked, as reported by Jochen Tittmar of Goal.com:
“At a quiet club like Brentford, which not many people in Germany have on their radar, it’s not so easy to come into the spotlight. Of course I would have liked to have been involved earlier, I would have hoped for a chance… Brentford aren’t Chelsea, Manchester United or Manchester City, I know that. At some point I just didn’t feel like talking about it in interviews any more. If the coach fancies me, he fancies me. If not, then not. I’m not angry with anyone. Every coach has their own idea.”
Now, under the leadership of Jürgen Klopp, Janelt has received his maiden senior call-up. Believing that Klopp’s extensive tenure in English football with Liverpool is advantageous, Janelt stated, as noted by Jochen Tittmar of Goal.com:
“I’m very happy that I’m here now at the age of 28. It’s one of the last chances for me to be involved in one or two major tournaments.”
With Joshua Kimmich and Felix Nmecha having experienced difficulties operating as the double pivot in Klopp’s initial matches, and the DFB team searching for a physical, defensively disciplined holding midfielder, Janelt stands poised to seize his opportunity in Munich.
Background of the Particular Development
The integration of Vitaly Janelt into the senior German national team represents the culmination of a long-term search for physical resilience and tactical balance within the DFB’s midfield structure. For years, German international teams have cycled through various iterations of central midfielders, often prioritizing technical playmaking over traditional defensive steel in the holding role.
Janelt’s trajectory reflects a broader modern trend where German professionals who struggle to capture mainstream attention in their domestic league find immense tactical growth, defensive rigor, and leadership opportunities in English football. His rise from an ostracized youth academy prospect at RB Leipzig to a Premier League captain and senior national team contender illustrates how perseverance and environment can reshape a player’s career arc after early disciplinary setbacks.
Prediction
This development could significantly impact the tactical dynamic of Jürgen Klopp’s national team setup, providing the squad with a reliable, physically robust defensive shield that has been notably absent in recent outings. For Vitaly Janelt personally, this call-up offers a rare late-career window to establish himself on the international stage, potentially transforming him from a quiet Premier League regular into an indispensable squad asset for upcoming major tournaments. For the broader audience of German football supporters and analysts, Janelt’s inclusion signals a pragmatic shift by the coaching staff toward rewarding proven grit, leadership, and consistent defensive execution over domestic name recognition.
