Klopp tells German FA he wants national team job after Nagelsmann's World Cup exit

Jurgen Klopp has told the German Football Association he wants to become the national team’s next head coach, after Julian Nagelsmann stepped down following Germany’s round-of-32 exit at the World Cup on penalties against Paraguay.

Nagelsmann’s departure ends a tenure that promised much but delivered three consecutive disappointing World Cup campaigns. Germany have not won a knockout match at the tournament since lifting the trophy in Rio de Janeiro in 2014. In a statement, Nagelsmann said the decision to leave was “anything but easy” but that his players “deserve the chance for a fresh start” after “such a bitter disappointment”.

Klopp, 59, has been working as global head of football for Red Bull since leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season. When he announced his Anfield exit in January 2024, he cited a lack of energy and suggested he might never manage again. His apparent interest in the Germany role marks a significant shift in that position.

Miroslav Tanjga, who played alongside Klopp at Mainz, has shed light on the three roles that could realistically draw him back into management. “What Klopp told me when he left Liverpool was that he had two wishes: to be the coach of the national team and of Real Madrid,” Tanjga said. “I also know that he never saw himself as the coach of any other team in England, except Liverpool.”

Klopp himself reinforced that point on the Diary of a CEO podcast: “I said I will never coach a different team in England, so that means, if [I did return], then it’s Liverpool. Theoretically. It’s possible.”

A return to Merseyside appears unlikely in the near term. Liverpool moved quickly after Arne Slot’s departure, confirming Andoni Iraola as head coach in June. Real Madrid, meanwhile, have reappointed Jose Mourinho — 13 years after his first spell ended — following Florentino Perez’s re-election as club president, closing off that avenue for Klopp too.

With Liverpool occupied and Real Madrid filled, the Germany job stands as the most plausible route back to the dugout for one of the game’s most decorated coaches. Whether the German FA moves to appoint him now remains to be seen.