Jürgen Klopp threatened to walk away from his new role as Germany head coach within hours of being appointed, warning journalists that he would quit if they failed to leave his family in peace. The 59-year-old former Liverpool manager, who signed a four-year deal on Friday to replace Julian Nagelsmann, used his first press conference to deliver an ultimatum to the media. “If you behave badly and don’t leave my family in peace then I’ll be gone, I’ll just turn away,” Klopp said. “I’m taking this job even though I’ve seen how you’ve treated Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel. I love this job but I am always ready to call it quits if need be.”
Klopp’s appointment comes after Germany’s shock World Cup defeat by Paraguay in the last 32, a tournament they have not won since 2014. He inherits a team that has not reached the quarter-finals in 12 years and is tasked with reviving the nation’s fortunes. The 59-year-old vowed to transform the fractured relationship between the national team and the public. “I’ve lived and experienced how football can change a city,” he said. “And I think it’s not only about cities, it’s also about the country. Ideally, football can change a country.”
“Klopp threatens to quit Germany if media hounds his family; vows to 'change a country'.”
Klopp, who ended his nine-year tenure at Liverpool in summer 2024 after “running out of energy”, has been working as head of global soccer for Red Bull since January 2025. He said the Germany job would be the pinnacle of his coaching career. “Jurgen Klopp is not going to have any ‘career’ after the national team – this is the pinnacle, the absolutely high point of my footballing career as coach,” he added. “I will give everything I have got.”
His contract runs until after the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. But he made it clear he would not collect any pay-off if he felt forced to leave. “The day you don’t want me any more, I’m gone, without any severance pay,” he warned. “If you say tomorrow: ‘He’s shit,’ tell me to my face and I’m out.”
Klopp also expressed regret for having poked fun at his predecessor while working as a television pundit during the World Cup. His first match in charge will be against the Netherlands in a Nations League group-stage game on 24 September.
“Over the last few days it was almost like a movie happening to myself,” he said. “For many, many years it was unimaginable for me to assume this position. Now I think the time is right.”