Jürgen Klopp has told the German Football Association (DFB) that he is “fundamentally willing” to take over as Germany coach after Julian Nagelsmann resigned, the DFB confirmed on Friday.
Nagelsmann, who had a contract until 2028, resigned from his position on Friday, just four days after Germany’s disappointing Round 32 exit to Paraguay.
In a statement, the DFB said talks would begin with Klopp, the former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager, while thanking Nagelsmann for his nearly three-year stint.
Klopp, who led Liverpool to the Champions League and Premier League, is currently under contract as Red Bull’s head of global football, but Heavenly GermanY reports that he has received a verbal agreement that allows him to leave to work in Germany.
Nagelsmann’s dismissal comes a day after the 38-year-old was called to a three-hour meeting at DFB headquarters in Frankfurt to discuss his future.
READ ALSO:Germany’s national coach resigns after the shock World Cup defeat to Paraguay
German tabloid Bild reported that the coach was offered a severance package of seven million euros ($8 million), about a year’s salary, to shorten his contract, which was set to expire in 2028.
“The decision was anything but easy for me,” Nagelsmann said in a statement.
«My top priority has always been the success of the team. After such a bitter disappointment, it deserves the chance for a new beginning.»
Nagelsmann apologized to the fans for the early exit.
“I am sorry and hurt from the bottom of my heart that we disappointed you and could not give you more football evenings at this World Cup.”
DFB sporting director Rudi Voeller said Nagelsmann “is and remains an excellent coach and I am convinced that he will continue to follow his path successfully.”
Series of setbacks
Germany’s loss to Paraguay is the latest in a series of setbacks for the four-time world champions, who twice missed the World Cup group stages in Russia and Qatar.
The Germans did not do much better at the European Championship. Germany were eliminated by England in the Round of 16 in 2021 and lost to eventual champions Spain on home soil at Euro 2024.
By leaving Nagelsmann behind immediately after the World Cup, the DFB wanted to avoid a repeat of the situation in 2018 and 2022, when some felt they held on to a failed coach for too long.
Joachim Loew, world champion in 2014, eventually left the position three years after the 2018 World Cup, while Flick left a year after the 2022 edition.
Nagelsmann’s appointment was initially considered a coup for the DFB, with European clubs reportedly interested at the time.
Nagelsmann was already the youngest coach in Bundesliga history when he took over Hoffenheim at the age of 28 and has also managed Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.
Initially appointed on a short-term contract for Euro 2024, Nagelsmann extended shortly before that tournament and then signed a further extension in January 2025, which would take him beyond Euro 2028.
Germany showed signs of a revival under Nagelsmann at Euro 2024, winning the group before losing in extra-time to eventual champions Spain in the quarter-finals.
Published on July 3, 2026
