Jürgen Klopp has confirmed he is in negotiations to take over as Germany’s coach and says he has “recharged” the energy missing when he left Liverpool.
- The German federation names Jürgen Klopp preferred after Julian Nagelsmann resigned following the World Cup loss to Paraguay.
- Talks will take time because of Klopp's commitments as head of global soccer for Red Bull clubs.
- The Germany team needs fundamental overhaul after a third consecutive World Cup failure and no knockout win since 2014.
- Klopp praised Nagelsmann, says deep reforms are essential, and remained a high-profile World Cup pundit on German TV.
Klopp is the German football federation’s preferred candidate after Julian Nagelsmann resigned on Friday, four days after Germany lost on penalties to Paraguay in the World Cup last 32.
“Julian has stepped down and the [federation] is working on the succession and has approached me in the course of those considerations,” said Klopp, speaking from New York on the German broadcaster Magenta TV in his role as a World Cup commentator.
Klopp was the only coach named in a federation statement on the team’s future, which said Klopp had “signalled his willingness” to take over. Klopp said talks would take time because of his contract as the head of global soccer for Red Bull’s network of clubs.
Klopp has not coached since he left Liverpool in 2024, saying at the time he was “running out of energy” after eight years with the club where he won the Premier League and Champions League.
“About two years ago I stopped at Liverpool and said that I lacked the energy for another job or for another year with Liverpool,” he said. “Since then I’m more than recharged, I’m ready.”
Germany’s next coach will need to make sweeping changes and Klopp said he would need “intensive talks” with the federation to agree on the key points of how to transform the team’s fortunes.
It was the third men’s World Cup in a row in which Germany have not reached the last 16. Germany have not won a knockout game since beating Argentina in the 2014 final.
Klopp said Nagelsmann was an “excellent coach” and not to blame for the team’s deeper problems. “German football is obviously at a turning point now,” Klopp said. “Now we need to change things fundamentally. Whether that’s me in the end or whoever it may be, that doesn’t change the fact that changes are necessary.”
Klopp has had a high-profile presence as a pundit on German TV at the World Cup, even taking part in post-game interviews with Nagelsmann at the side of the pitch. In the immediate aftermath of the Paraguay loss, he said he had not thought about taking on the Germany job.
