New German national team coach Juergen Klopp attends a news conference Friday in Frankfurt. Photo by Hannes Albert/EPA
Germany named former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp coach of the men’s national team, the German Football Association (DFB) announced Friday.
Klopp will take over for Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned earlier this month after the Germans lost to Paraguay in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.
“There isn’t much good to say about the situation when you’re knocked out of a World Cup early, especially when everyone has tried everything to make it look better,” Klopp told reporters in Frankfurt.
“But it’s the moment when you have to look very closely and then change, intensely adjust things without knee-jerk reactions and then play better football.”
The four-time World Cup champions lost in the group stage twice — 2018 and 2022 — following their title run in 2014. They placed inside the Top 3 for four consecutive tournaments from 2002 through 2014, starting that surge with a runner-up finish.
“Few people embody passion, authenticity and the ability to inspire others quite like Jurgen Klopp,” DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said.
“After Julian Nagelsmann stepped down, he was our clear first choice to become Germany head coach, which is why we did everything we could to bring him in.”
Klopp, who stepped down as manager of Liverpool in 2024, was working as head of global soccer for Red Bull. His contract with Germany is for four years and runs through UERO 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.
He will officially take over on Aug. 15. Peter Krawietz, Pepjin Lijnders and Sven Bender will be among the assistant coaches on his new staff.
“Few things can bring us Germans together like the national team,” Klopp said. “That is exactly what makes this role so special for me. I’m grateful for everything I’ve been able to experience and learn during the past year and a half at Red Bull, and for everyone’s willingness to find a solution that made this possible. I’m now looking forward to taking on this special role in German football.
“We will approach it together with humility and patience as we look to build a team that fights for one another, enjoys its football and that people across our country can get fully behind.”
Klopp, 59, also issued a warning to media members, telling them he would leave his new job if they “behave badly.”
“The day you don’t want me anymore, you say so, and I’m gone,” Klopp said. “Without severance pay. If you say tomorrow that he’s rubbish, I’m gone. Not just one person, it would have to be more than that. If the DFB says he’s rubbish, I’m gone. If you behave badly and don’t leave my family in peace, I’m gone.”
Klopp, who worked as an analyst for Magenta TV during the 2026 World Cup, said he “doesn’t have a career after the national team.” He called the role the “highlight of my career.”
The Germans, who sit at No. 12 in the FIFA world rankings, will face the No. 9 Netherlands in Nations League play Sept. 24 in Amsterdam. Klopp said he is analyzing 57 outfield players for the national team.
Fans go all out in support at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Fans celebrate the first United States goal as the United States faces Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the FIFA Fan Zone area located on the National Mall in Washington on July 6, 2026. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
