FRANKFURT, Germany — One of the most high-profile vacancies in international men’s soccer is on the cusp of being officially filled, with the German Football Association (DFB) set to introduce Jürgen Klopp as the country’s next senior men’s national team manager during a Friday press conference, multiple insiders with knowledge of the process have confirmed.
In a short, sparse statement released Thursday, the DFB did not disclose the explicit purpose of the Friday morning event planned at its Frankfurt headquarters, but multiple football industry sources have confirmed the gathering will be dedicated to presenting Klopp as Julian Nagelsmann’s permanent replacement.
Klopp has been the DFB’s top target for the role ever since Nagelsmann stepped down from the position after Germany suffered a stunning elimination from this year’s FIFA World Cup. The defending champions were knocked out in the round of 32 in a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay, a result that ended their tournament run far earlier than expected and triggered the opening of the top job.
Talks between Klopp and DFB leadership first took shape in New York, where the former Liverpool boss was working as a broadcast pundit and television analyst for the World Cup. On July 11, the federation publicly confirmed that the two sides had reached a preliminary understanding on all core terms of a potential contract.
For weeks after that announcement, the primary stumbling block to finalizing the deal was securing an exit agreement from Red Bull, the global beverage and sports conglomerate. Klopp has served as Red Bull’s head of global soccer for the past 18 months, a role that saw him oversee the operations and development of the company’s entire network of sponsored professional clubs across Europe and the Americas. Final negotiations between the DFB and Red Bull ultimately cleared that hurdle, opening the door for Friday’s official presentation.
Klopp stepped away from his role as Liverpool’s first-team manager at the end of the 2023-2024 season, citing prolonged burnout and a need for an extended break from elite coaching. Earlier this month, however, the 57-year-old told reporters he has completed his period of rest and now feels fully recharged, ready to return to the sidelines for a new challenge at the international level.