Klopp apologises to Nagelsmann after 'still' remark sparks Germany row at World Cup

Jurgen Klopp has apologised to Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann after an apparently throwaway word during a live television broadcast ignited a row inside the German camp ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Klopp, working as a lead pundit on Magenta TV, sparked the controversy when he said: “Luckily, Julian Nagelsmann is still picking the team” — a phrasing widely interpreted as a suggestion that Nagelsmann’s position might not survive the tournament. The remark came during an exchange with fellow pundit Thomas Müller in which Klopp also called on Nagelsmann to drop Bayern Munich forward Jamal Musiala for Germany’s opening group game against Curacao.

In the aftermath of Germany’s 7-0 demolition of Curacao, Klopp offered a candid and self-deprecating mea culpa. “I’ve already found the most hated word of the year: ‘Still’,” he said. “I could have punched myself in the face for that, but it was already too late and I was on TV. It just slipped out so casually, and has absolutely no relevance. What I’ve realised is, I’ll be 59 on Tuesday and I’m still an idiot.”

Klopp also reached out directly to Nagelsmann to make clear his support. “We are completely on your side, whatever you do with this,” he told the Germany boss. “Nothing will come of it that is intended to disrupt the process here.”

Nagelsmann was asked about the remark at a press conference after a Sport Bild reporter pressed him for a reaction. The Germany coach responded with pointed brevity. “I’m surprised that the request is coming from you,” he told the journalist, before asking what they personally made of Klopp’s comments. When the reporter described them as “a little prickly”, Nagelsmann replied: “Good. Then. Next question.”

Klopp has been a frequently discussed candidate to eventually succeed Nagelsmann as Germany manager. He left Liverpool in 2024 after a trophy-laden nine-year spell that included two Champions League titles and the club’s first Premier League championship in 2020, and has since taken up a role as head of global football at Red Bull. He described his return to pitchside punditry for the World Cup as making him “tingle” with excitement.