REPORT — sourced from German media, not yet an official DFB statement
Jürgen Klopp is reported to have reached an agreement in principle with the German football federation (DFB) to become the new men’s national team coach, succeeding Julian Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann departed after Germany’s Round of 32 exit to Paraguay on penalties, the country’s third straight early World Cup exit following group-stage eliminations in 2018 and 2022.
According to reports, DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke met Klopp and his agent in a New York hotel for a session that reportedly lasted over four hours, with the core terms of a deal largely agreed beforehand. Federation officials are said to have felt the decision was significant enough to warrant meeting Klopp in person rather than closing it remotely.
Klopp has been out of club management since leaving Liverpool in 2024 and currently serves as Red Bull’s global head of soccer, a role that must be resolved before any national team deal can be finalised. Speaking as a World Cup TV analyst last week, Klopp confirmed discussions were underway and said the timing, while not perfect given his existing contract, was “better than it’s ever been” for a return to the touchline.
If completed, the appointment would end weeks of speculation over Nagelsmann’s successor and hand one of the sport’s most recognisable coaches the task of rebuilding a Germany side still searching for the form that won the nation its fourth World Cup in Brazil in 2014. A formal announcement is expected once the Red Bull negotiations conclude, with talks reported to be continuing into this week.
