Pejcinovic admits Stuttgart drought, reveals Klopp's Germany message

The 21-year-old tells Kicker he is in a scoring slump at VfB Stuttgart, addresses his €25m price tag and recounts his first contact with Germany coach Jürgen Klopp.

Dzenan Pejcinovic has acknowledged he is in a scoring slump at VfB Stuttgart, addressing the dip in an interview with the German publication Kicker. Asked whether his recent run amounted to a drought, the 21-year-old did not argue. "You could certainly say that," he said, adding that strikers will face phases without goals and that it is "important to stay calm and trust in your strengths."

The dip follows a bright beginning. Pejcinovic joined Stuttgart from Wolfsburg this summer after a breakout Bundesliga season and marked his first competitive appearance with a hat-trick. Goals have been far harder to come by since, and the size of the deal has kept the spotlight on him.

It is not the first time he has had to grind through a lean stretch. His Wolfsburg breakthrough came only after he spent a long period chasing regular first-team minutes in the Bundesliga, and a scoring surge over the second half of last season turned him into one of the most sought-after young forwards in Germany.

That record is why the current spell has not dented his self-belief. "For me, pressure is actually normal," Pejcinovic said. "I block it out completely because I know what I'm capable of." He pointed to last season and his early days at Stuttgart as proof, and said his focus is on working his way out of the dip.

The fee adds another layer of scrutiny. Stuttgart raised its offer beyond the €25 million mark during a long summer chase, the second-highest transfer outlay in the club's history. Pejcinovic said he asked himself even before the move whether the number should matter to him, knowing critics would say he cost too much, but insisted it does not affect his focus on the field.

He also described his first contact with Jürgen Klopp, Germany's new head coach, which arrived as a message on his personal phone. Pejcinovic was sitting in the barber's chair when he saw a note signed "LG, Jürgen Klopp" — a common German sign-off meaning best regards — and said he was skeptical enough that he checked with several people to confirm the number was genuine.

Pejcinovic had been in contention for Klopp's 44-man Germany squad but ultimately stayed with the Under-21 side. He admitted the omission stung — "I wouldn't say I didn't care" — while conceding his league form had not made a stronger case for inclusion. Pejcinovic said Klopp's message to him was direct: "If you want to be part of it, you have to perform even better."

His answer, he said, is to give everything with the U21s just as he would have with the senior team, and he framed being left out as a signal to lift his level rather than a major setback. The striker has already met Klopp in person and remains firmly in the frame for a senior call-up.

Germany's senior team, now coached by Klopp, plays its next match at Greece on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Toumba Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. EDT.