Jürgen Klopp and Germany: A partnership long in the making
In one of the worst-kept secret in football, the former Dortmund and Liverpool coach looks to be on the verge of becoming Germany's new boss
In one of the worst-kept secret in football, the former Dortmund and Liverpool coach looks to be on the verge of becoming Germany's new boss. Jürgen Klopp is the overwhelming favorite to be Germany's new head coach. In recent years, the charismatic 59-year-old was seen as the ideal candidate. In recent weeks, he has been the boss in waiting. With Julian Nagelsmann's departure now confirmed, Klopp's arrival looks a formality, especially after the German FA (DFB) announced talks had begun and that Klopp had shown a "willingness" in principle to take up the job. Germany's last three World Cups have ended in disappointment, with two group-stage exits and the most recent knockout defeat to Paraguay in the round of 32. Euro 2024 was more positive, but generally Germany have not enjoyed a successful tournament since Euro 2016. For a four-time World Cup winner and a three-time European champion, a decade long span of disappointment sits far below expectation. Jürgen Klopp's cheeky manner on TV during the 2026 World Cup brought him even closer to the German job Image: Marco Bader/HMB-Media/IMAGO A candidate in waiting Klopp's approach to the Germany job has been a long time coming. Even as far back as late October 2024 when he took the job as "Head of Global Soccer" for Red Bull, there were reports that either his contract included a clause allowing him to become Germany head coach in the future or he had a gentleman's agreement to do the same. And during this World Cup, his role as a pundit for "MagentaTV" seems to have moved him ever closer to the job.
His analysis has been seen as on point, but Klopp caused a stir whe he said: "Luckily, it's Julian Nagelsmann who's picking the team," before adding: "For now." Those two words hung over Nagelsmann, and even though Klopp apologized, it almost felt like he knew his time was fast approaching. Even after the loss to Paraguay, while Klopp distanced himself from the job saying it wasn't time to talk about that now, he then went on to address the issue for the team moving forward. "When the next tournament comes around and whoever is head coach is asked, what is your goal? If they don't say, 'European champion' then people will say, 'have you got no ambition? We are Germany!' No, we were football Germany. In order to become that force again, we've really got to give it our all," Klopp said on "MagentaTV". Klopp had been providing "strategic vision and support" as well as helping "coaches develop" in his job at Red Bull. However, his role in the dismissal of RB Leipzig head coach Ole Werner after just one season has been seen critically in the media. Werner guided RB Leipzig to third place in the Bundesliga and returned the club to the Champions League. The real Jürgen Klopp To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A popular figure His success in the dugout combined with his warm, funny character has made him a fan favorite in most places in Germany. After playing in Mainz, he took the club to the Bundesliga for the first time.
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