Germany lost 1-0 to Greece in Augsburg, with the DFB side struggling to break down a well-organised defence and producing an attacking performance that left Klopp with plenty to consider.
“Losing this is not allowed to happen,” Klopp said afterwards, but Schweinsteiger was even more direct when assessing Germany's current level.
“We are no longer a top team. We have reached mediocrity,” the 2014 World Cup winner said.
“We no longer have the players who make the difference.”
Schweinsteiger believed Greece had players capable of doing exactly that, highlighting Karetsas, Tzolis and Pavlidis as “difference-makers”.
He also identified Germany's build-up as a major problem, arguing that Kimmich was the only player in the squad capable of creatively building the game from deep.
When Kimmich was confronted with Schweinsteiger's comments in the mixed zone, the Germany captain did not attempt to argue the point.
“We have to say it like that,” Kimmich said.
“A top team is characterised by beating supposedly weaker opponents and beating the supposed top teams. We haven't beaten the Netherlands and today we lost.”
That left little room for argument after Germany's latest result, although Bayern Munich midfielder Kimmich insisted the current situation should not be viewed as a permanent assessment of the national team.
“It is a snapshot that we are not a top team,” he said. “Nevertheless, that is not decisive now. What is important is that we develop back in that direction.”
Kimmich also accepted that he had not produced his best performance. His deflection helped send the Greek shot into the net for the only goal, while he also acknowledged a costly ball loss that preceded another major chance.
“I tried to show myself, not hide, collect a lot of balls, also to give the guys around me confidence and relieve them,” he said.
“But: there is room for improvement.”
For Klopp, the 1-0 defeat was an early warning about the work required with Germany. For Kimmich, however, the immediate objective is not to dispute where the team stands, but to ensure that the current “snapshot” does not become its new normal.