Jurgen Klopp is set to hold talks with the German Football Association (DFB) after Julian Nagelsmann quit as national team boss. Nagelsmann's team lost on penalties to Paraguay in the last 32 on Monday, marking a miserable end to the four-time champions' campaign in North America.
Nagelsmann resigns after World Cup exit
Discussions then took place regarding the 38-year-old's position, and on Friday morning, it was widely reported that he has now resigned from his role. Nagelsmann had previously insisted he would not quit, but scrutiny on his reign intensified following the defeat in Boston.
Following Monday's defeat to Gustavo Alfaro's side, Klopp was immediately installed as the favourite to become Germany's new head coach.
Klopp open to replacing Nagelsmann
And now, according to reports from Germany, he will hold talks with the DFB, as he is open to replacing Nagelsmann. Klopp stepped down as Liverpool manager in the summer of 2024, after almost nine years in charge, to take a break from management.
The Kop icon has since become global head of soccer for the Red Bull group, but it is claimed he has an agreement in place that would allow him to leave the company and become Germany's boss if the DFB came calling.
Klopp's punditry and apology
Klopp has been in the US working as a pundit for MagentaTV, and they asked whether he would consider replacing Nagelsmann should a vacancy arise. “I haven’t thought about that yet,” he said. “I understand that my name is being mentioned now, but it’s not the time to talk about that.”
During his time in charge of the Reds, the German won the Champions League and Premier League and apologised to Nagelsmann at the start of the World Cup after branding himself an 'idiot' for referencing that the former Bayern Munich coach was 'still' picking the team.
The repetition of the word 'still' sparked a debate back in Germany over whether Klopp was questioning Nagelsmann's future in the role and drew criticism from Lothar Matthaus. "I'd like to see what Klopp would have said if an expert had advised him to bench one of his regular starters before an important Champions League match," the Bayern and German great said. "Such interference isn't well received, especially among fellow coaches."
Speaking after Germany emphatically defeated Curacao 7-1 to begin their World Cup campaign perfectly, Klopp apologised directly to Nagelsmann after the game. He said: "I’ve already found the most hated word of the year: 'Still'. I could have punched myself in the face for that, but it was already too late and I was on TV. It just slipped out so casually and has absolutely no relevance."
Before he added: "There's one more thing I have to say… we still need to make time for this. We're also informally part of the team, we're absolutely on your side. What I've realised is: I’ll be 59 the day after tomorrow, and I'm still an idiot. We are completely on your side, whatever you do. Nothing was intended to come of it to disrupt the process here."
