Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he is in talks to become the next Germany national coach and expects his current employer, Red Bull, to support the move. The former Liverpool manager revealed the discussions during a broadcast with German channel Magenta, just days after Julian Nagelsmann resigned following Germany's World Cup exit.
Klopp Confirms Negotiations
Speaking on Magenta's World Cup coverage, Klopp stated: "Yes, I can confirm the talks. Things moved pretty quickly. Julian stepped down. The DFB (German FA) are looking for a successor. And they're talking to me." He added that the discussions would be intensive and not solely about replacing Nagelsmann, emphasising the need for fundamental changes.
Klopp, who serves as Red Bull's global head of soccer, acknowledged his existing contract but expressed confidence that Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff would not obstruct the move. "I assume he won't stand in the way," Klopp said. "I've been there for 19 months. It was an intense time."
Nagelsmann Resigns After World Cup Exit
Germany were eliminated from the World Cup on penalties by Paraguay in the last-32 stage on Monday evening. Nagelsmann promptly resigned, issuing a statement calling it a "bitter disappointment" and saying the team deserved a new beginning. "The decision was anything but easy for me," Nagelsmann said. "After such a bitter disappointment, it deserves the chance of a new beginning."
Nagelsmann had taken over from Hansi Flick in September 2023 and led Germany through a mixed period, culminating in their earliest World Cup exit in decades.
Klopp's Return to Coaching
If appointed, Klopp would return to coaching for the first time since leaving Liverpool in May 2024 after nine years. During his tenure at Anfield, he won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, two League Cups, and the Club World Cup in 2019. Klopp's potential appointment is seen as a major coup for the DFB, given his status as one of the world's most successful managers.
Klopp acknowledged the scale of the task: "Once the talks begin, your mind starts racing. We have to change things fundamentally. There will have to be intensive discussions, because, of course, the problems we currently have cannot be pinned only on Julian Nagelsmann." He praised Nagelsmann as "an exceptional coach" who would prove his quality again.
