In a long-awaited move that has sent shockwaves through international football, the German Football Association (DFB) announced Friday that legendary former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will take the reins as the new head coach of Germany’s men’s national team, tasking the 59-year-old with reviving the once-dominant program’s fading fortunes. The appointment comes on the heels of yet another early World Cup exit, and Klopp’s contract will run through the 2030 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
Speculation around Klopp’s appointment had circulated for weeks, and the move gained momentum after former manager Julian Nagelsmann stepped down earlier this July. Nagelsmann resigned following a devastating round-of-32 penalty defeat to Paraguay at this summer’s tournament, marking Germany’s third consecutive early World Cup exit after the program’s 2014 title win. DFB sources confirmed that Klopp, who had publicly expressed interest in the role, was the federation’s top-choice candidate, and his willingness to accept the position accelerated Nagelsmann’s departure.
Speaking at an official press conference in Frankfurt announcing his hiring, Klopp framed the national team role as the crowning achievement of his decades-long professional career. “It’s a great honour for me to be sitting here today,” he said. “This is ideally the high point of my career, of my life, my professional life. I will give it everything I have.”
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf clarified that Klopp’s contract will officially begin on August 15, running through the summer of 2030. Prior to accepting the national team post, Klopp had been serving as Red Bull’s “Head of Global Soccer” since 2025, overseeing football strategy for the brand’s affiliated clubs across Europe and North America, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and the New York Red Bulls. Neuendorf thanked Red Bull for agreeing to an early termination of Klopp’s contract, noting that the new Germany head coach will need to dedicate his full attention to reversing the team’s recent slump.
Germany is one of the most decorated men’s football programs in history, with four World Cup titles — tied for the most among European nations — and three European Championship trophies. But despite that historic success, the team has struggled to compete at the highest level in major tournaments over the last decade. Since reaching the Euro 2016 semi-finals, Germany has won only a single knockout match across three World Cups and two European Championships, making this turnaround project one of the highest-stakes jobs in international football.
Klopp brings a proven track record of success to the role, having built his reputation as one of the world’s top managers through stints at Bundesliga clubs Mainz and Borussia Dortmund before his trophy-laden nine-year spell at Liverpool. When he stepped down from Liverpool in 2024, he had led the club to every major trophy available, ending a 30-year league title drought by claiming the Premier League in 2020 and lifting the club’s sixth Champions League trophy in 2019. The DFB had courted Klopp for the national team role for years, with the federation consistently naming him as the ideal candidate to restore Germany’s standing among the world’s elite teams.