Nageslmann’s departure was announced on Friday after Germany’s early World Cup exit
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he is in talks with the German Football Association about becoming Germany’s next head coach after Julian Nagelsmann stepped down following the country’s early World Cup exit.
The DFB announced Nagelsmann’s departure on Friday, four days after Germany were knocked out by Paraguay on penalties in the round of 32. The federation said it had already made contact with Klopp, who has indicated he is open to taking over.
“The German Football Association expressly thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his work since September 2023. He is characterized by a high level of commitment and extraordinary ambition,” the DFB president, Bernd Neuendorf, said.
“Regarding the appointment of a new coach, the DFB leadership will now seek talks with Jürgen Klopp. He has already signalled his general willingness to take on the position.”
Klopp later confirmed the approach while working as a World Cup analyst for Magenta TV.
“Yes, I can confirm the talks,” Klopp said. “Yes, Julian resigned, and the DFB is working on a succession plan and over the course of these deliberations, they have reached out to me.”
Nagelsmann was appointed in September 2023 after replacing Hansi Flick. He guided Germany to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and signed a contract extension until Euro 2028 in January 2025, but leaves after the team’s latest World Cup disappointment.
Germany’s defeat by Paraguay extended a difficult run at major tournaments. They have now suffered three successive early World Cup exits after failing to progress beyond the group stage in 2018 and 2022.
Klopp has not managed a team since leaving Liverpool in 2024. He took up the role of Red Bull’s head of soccer in January 2025 but said the prospect of returning to coaching now appeals more than it did when he left Anfield.
“The timing, even now, is not perfect because I am currently under contract with Red Bull, but it is still better than it has ever been,” Klopp said. “When I stopped at Liverpool, I lacked the energy for even one more year with the club, and I’m more than recharged now.”
The former Liverpool manager added that any move would depend on discussions with Red Bull chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff, although he believed the company would not prevent him from taking charge of the national team.
“The situation is such that I have an existing contract with Red Bull. As a person, I am usually very happy to keep contracts,” Klopp said. “But I have also said that I am very interested in the discussions. Those conversations will have to happen, and they will have to be intensive talks because, of course, the problems Germany were experiencing were not due to Julian Nagelsmann.
“Julian Nagelsmann is an extraordinary coach, and he will have the opportunity to prove that many times in his coaching career.”
