Jurgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager who led the club to Champions League and Premier League glory, has signaled his willingness to take over as Germany's men's national team coach—a job that suddenly opened up after Julian Nagelsmann resigned just four days after the four-time world champions were knocked out of the World Cup by Paraguay on penalties in the last 32. The German Football Association (DFB) confirmed it will now seek talks with Klopp, who has been out of management since leaving Liverpool in 2024 and is currently working as Red Bull's head of global soccer and as a TV pundit for German broadcaster Magenta.
Germany's latest World Cup exit extends a painful pattern for the national team. They have not won a knockout game at the tournament since being crowned champions in 2014. In 2018 and 2022, they failed to get beyond the group stage under Joachim Low and Hansi Flick respectively. Nagelsmann, who was appointed in September 2023 after replacing Flick, led Germany to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals as hosts, where they lost in extra time to eventual winners Spain. His contract was initially until after Euro 2024, then extended to the 2026 World Cup and later to Euro 2028. But after the Paraguay defeat, the 38-year-old requested to be relieved of his duties following a three-hour meeting with senior DFB officials at their headquarters in Frankfurt. According to German tabloid Bild, he was offered a severance package of seven million euros (about $8 million) to cut short his contract. Nagelsmann said in a statement that he had consulted with trusted individuals and decided to step down so the team could have a "fresh start."
“Why Germany wants Jurgen Klopp as coach after Nagelsmann resignation.”
For UK readers, Klopp's potential appointment is significant because of his deep ties to English football. He spent nearly nine years at Liverpool, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020, and his departure left a lasting impression on the Premier League. If he takes the Germany job, it would mark the end of his sabbatical from management and could affect the landscape of international football, with Germany—a traditional powerhouse—looking to rebuild under a charismatic, high-profile coach. The DFB's statement noted that Klopp has "already signalled his general willingness to take on the position," and Sky Germany reports he has a verbal agreement to leave his Red Bull role if the Germany job becomes available.
Q: Why did Julian Nagelsmann resign as Germany coach? Nagelsmann resigned after Germany's early World Cup exit—a last-32 penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay. He said he wanted the team to have a "fresh start" after the disappointment, and reports suggest the DFB had made clear they expected him to go. He was offered a seven-million-euro severance package, roughly one year's salary, to leave.
Q: What has Jurgen Klopp done since leaving Liverpool? Since leaving Liverpool in May 2024, Klopp has not managed a team. Instead, he has worked as Red Bull's head of global soccer and as a television pundit, including at the 2026 World Cup for German broadcaster Magenta, where he was scathing in his analysis of Germany's problems.
Q: How long has Germany been struggling at World Cups? Germany have not won a World Cup knockout match since they lifted the trophy in 2014. They were eliminated in the group stage in 2018 and 2022, and this year they lost in the last 32 to Paraguay—their earliest exit since before they were champions.
What happens next is that the DFB leadership will open formal talks with Klopp. The former Liverpool boss has already expressed his general willingness to take the job, and the expectation is that an appointment could be made soon. Nagelsmann's resignation took effect immediately, and Germany's next major tournament is Euro 2028, for which Nagelsmann had been contracted. Klopp, 59, would bring a fresh approach to a side that has struggled to recover its former dominance on the world stage.