Less than 24 hours after former Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann stepped down in the wake of an early 2026 FIFA World Cup exit, legendary German manager Jürgen Klopp has confirmed he is in active negotiations to take the vacant national team job, revealing he has regained full energy after stepping away from elite club coaching two years ago.
Nagelsmann’s resignation came on the back of a frustrating round of 32 exit for Germany, who were eliminated by Paraguay in a penalty shootout. The German Football Association (DFB) quickly identified Klopp as their top candidate to replace the outgoing coach, and the 59-year-old confirmed the approach during an appearance on German broadcaster Magenta TV, where he has been working as a pundit throughout this World Cup from his base in New York.
“Julian has stepped down and the federation is working on the succession and has approached me in the course of those considerations,” Klopp explained to reporters late Friday. A DB statement later confirmed Klopp was the only candidate named in internal discussions over the team’s future, noting that the former Liverpool boss has already signaled his openness to taking the role. That said, Klopp added that any deal will take time to finalize, as he remains under contract as Global Head of Soccer for Red Bull’s global network of clubs.
Klopp has not held a senior coaching position since he left Liverpool at the end of the 2023-2024 Premier League season. At the time of his departure, he made clear he was stepping away because he had exhausted his energy after eight trophy-laden years at Anfield, where he led the club to a long-awaited Premier League title and a sixth UEFA Champions League crown, among other major honors. Today, however, Klopp says that break has fully restored his drive to return to the touchline.
“About two years ago I stopped at Liverpool and said that I lacked the energy for another job or for another year with Liverpool. Since then I’m more than recharged, I’m ready,” he said.
Whoever takes over the Germany job will inherit a side facing deep structural challenges, with the nation experiencing a prolonged slump in international men’s football. This World Cup exit marks the third consecutive men’s World Cup where Germany failed to advance past the group stage round equivalent, and the side has not won a knockout match at the tournament since lifting the trophy with a victory over Argentina in the 2014 final. Klopp stressed that any successful rebuild will require fundamental changes to the national team setup, and he plans to hold intensive negotiations with DFB officials to align on a roadmap for transformation before agreeing to any deal.
“German soccer is obviously at a turning point now,” Klopp said. “Now we need to change things fundamentally. Whether that’s me in the end or whoever it may be, that doesn’t change the fact that changes are necessary.”
Klopp also defended his predecessor, noting that Nagelsmann should not be held responsible for the national team’s long-running issues. “Nagelsmann is an excellent coach,” he added.
Klopp has been one of the most high-profile pundits working on World Cup coverage for German outlets during this tournament, even conducting on-field post-match interviews with Nagelsmann after group stage matches. In the immediate aftermath of Germany’s penalty defeat to Paraguay, Klopp said he had not considered taking over the vacant national team role.