Jürgen Klopp is the overwhelming favorite to be Germany’s new head coach. In recent years, the charismatic 59-year-old was seen as the ideal candidate. In recent weeks, he has been the boss in waiting. With Julian Nagelsmann’s departure now confirmed, Klopp’s arrival looks a formality, especially after the German FA (DFB) announced talks had begun and that Klopp had shown a “willingness” in principle to take up the job.
Germany’s last three World Cups have ended in disappointment, with two group-stage exits and the most recent knockout defeat to Paraguay in the round of 32. Euro 2024 was more positive, but generally Germany have not enjoyed a successful tournament since Euro 2016. For a four-time World Cup winner and a three-time European champion, a decade long span of disappointment sits far below expectation.
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A candidate in waiting
Klopp’s approach to the Germany job has been a long time coming. Even as far back as late October 2024 when he took the job as “Head of Global Soccer” for Red Bull, there were reports that either his contract included a clause allowing him to become Germany head coach in the future or he had a gentleman’s agreement to do the same.
And during this World Cup, his role as a pundit for “MagentaTV” seems to have moved him ever closer to the job. His analysis has been seen as on point, but Klopp caused a stir whe he said: “Luckily, it’s Julian Nagelsmann who’s picking the team,” before adding: “For now.” Those two words hung over Nagelsmann, and even though Klopp apologized, it almost felt like he knew his time was fast approaching.
Even after the loss to Paraguay, while Klopp distanced himself from the job saying it wasn’t time to talk about that now, he then went on to address the issue for the team moving forward.
“When the next tournament comes around and whoever is head coach is asked, what is your goal? If they don’t say, ‘European champion’ then people will say, ‘have you got no ambition? We are Germany!’ No, we were football Germany. In order to become that force again, we’ve really got to give it our all,” Klopp said on “MagentaTV”.
Klopp had been providing “strategic vision and support” as well as helping “coaches develop” in his job at Red Bull. However, his role in the dismissal of RB Leipzig head coach Ole Werner after just one season has been seen critically in the media. Werner guided RB Leipzig to third place in the Bundesliga and returned the club to the Champions League.
A popular figure
His success in the dugout combined with his warm, funny character has made him a fan favorite in most places in Germany. After playing in Mainz, he took the club to the Bundesliga for the first time. His departure was emotional, as both Klopp and many of the crowd shed tears.
At Borussia Dortmund, he won back-to-back Bundesliga titles, and took the club to the Champions League final in 2013. More recently, he spent nine years with Liverpool, where he delivered a first league title in more than a quarter of a century, as well as glory in the 2019 Champions League final. He has a history of leading clubs with strong working-class roots to success, allowing him to maintain a bond to the core values of the clubs in question. In combination with his holistic style of coaching, Klopp is seen as one of the best coaches in the world.
During his break from coaching, Klopp was awarded the highest civic award in Germany as a result of his outstanding contribution to democracy and his impact on the football world. He was credited with becoming a role model, a football ambassador and someone who has improved the how people in England see Germans.
Recently, his face has been hard to miss. Famous for being in a raft of adverts, Klopp has cemented his status as one of the most famous Germans rather than just a great football coach from Germany.
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Could Klopp lead Germany to Euro 2028 glory?
With Euro 2028 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Klopp will be familiar with a lot of the stadiums and the way football works in the country. He will have a long run-up at the title though.
His first game in charge would be in Amsterdam on September 24 against the Netherlands in the Nations League. This will mark the start of a new format of international break. Unlike in previous years where there have three two-week international breaks in September, October and November, the 2026-27 season will see September and October’s breaks merge into one. November’s will be the same.
This means Klopp’s first time in charge of the team would be for a three-week break in late September which will see Germany play Greece in Augsburg three days after the Amsterdam game. Four days after that, Germany will play Serbia in Munich before closing out the international break in Thessaloniki against Greece on October 4. This longer break would offer Klopp a chance to hit the ground running and generate a real clarity over his playing style and who the core of his Germany team would be.
While it might be a while before the official announcement comes, there will be no stopping Germany fans daydreaming of what their team will look like under Klopp. Heavy metal football, as Klopp once famously described his style of play, might well be on the way for a team that is currently out of tune.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold
