Klopp open to Germany job but demands Red Bull role stays intact after World Cup exit

Jurgen Klopp is open to becoming Germany’s next national team manager, but any agreement with the German Football Association (DFB) would hinge on him keeping his role at Red Bull, according to reports. The speculation intensified after Germany were eliminated from the World Cup at the round of 32 on Monday, losing on penalties to Paraguay in what was another damaging early exit for the four-time world champions.

Germany had a potential winning goal controversially ruled out in extra-time before Paraguay prevailed in the shootout. Incumbent manager Julian Nagelsmann, 38, has insisted he will not resign and holds a contract through to Euro 2028, co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. But pressure on the DFB to make a change is mounting.

Klopp, 59, has not managed a club since leaving Liverpool in May 2024, a departure he attributed to a lack of energy for the daily demands of club management. In January 2025, he took up the position of Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull, overseeing a network that includes RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls. Reports suggest he would be reluctant to relinquish that role — meaning any deal with the DFB would need to accommodate it.

The Telegraph reports that managing at a World Cup remains one of Klopp’s unfulfilled ambitions in football. He was working at this summer’s tournament as a pundit for German broadcaster Magenta when he was asked about the speculation following his country’s exit. “I understand that my name is being mentioned,” he said. “But this isn’t the moment to talk about it — and certainly not with me.”

Nagelsmann was candid about the scale of Germany’s decline after the defeat. “If you exit after the first stage, it’s not enough for German football,” he said. “This is now the third elimination in a row so we are not part of the first class teams any more. I am disappointed.”

Germany’s record since their 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil has been a steady regression — group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, and now a round-of-32 defeat in 2026. Whether Klopp is the man tasked with reversing that slide will depend on whether the DFB are willing to meet his conditions.