Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has emerged as the leading candidate to become Germany’s next head coach, following reports that current manager Julian Nagelsmann is set to part ways with the national team.
According to German tabloid Bild, Nagelsmann is on the verge of being dismissed after Germany’s disappointing FIFA World Cup campaign, which ended in a shock Round of 32 defeat to on penalties.
The report claimed the 38-year-old coach met with DFB officials for about three hours at the federation’s headquarters in Frankfurt, where he was reportedly offered a severance package worth €7 million (about $8 million) to leave his position.
Nagelsmann, whose contract was renewed in January 2025 and runs until 2028, has come under intense pressure following Germany’s latest World Cup disappointment. Although his salary has never been officially disclosed, German media estimate that he earns around €7 million annually.
The defeat to Paraguay marked Germany’s third consecutive early exit from the World Cup, following group-stage eliminations at the tournaments in Russia and Qatar. It was also the country’s first knockout-stage appearance since lifting the World Cup trophy in Brazil in 2014.
In response to the disappointing campaign, DFB President announced on Tuesday that the federation had launched an immediate review into the national team’s World Cup performance.
A final decision on Nagelsmann’s future is expected no later than the beginning of next week, according to reports from AFP’s sports subsidiary, SID.
Meanwhile, several German media outlets, including Sky Germany and the Süddeutsche Zeitung, have identified Klopp as the overwhelming favourite to take charge of the four-time world champions.
Klopp stepped away from coaching after leaving in 2024. He currently serves as Head of Global Football for , overseeing the company’s network of football clubs across Austria, Germany, Brazil, the United States and Japan.
Should the appointment materialise, Klopp would return to frontline coaching to lead Germany in its bid to rebuild after another disappointing World Cup campaign.
Advertisement
