Renowned coach Jurgen Klopp was officially named as the new commander of the Germany national team, with a contract that extends until the 2030 World Cup. The German federation confirmed the information on July 24, 2026, during a press conference, marking Germany’s attempt to overcome a series of disappointing results in important tournaments.
“It’s a great honor for me to be here. Over the last few days, it’s almost been like I’m living in a movie,” said Klopp.
The German coach mentioned that, for a long time, he thought it was unlikely to take on such a position. However, over time, the possibility of receiving the invitation for this work became clearer. “Now I think the time is right and I thank all parties involved,” he added.
He emphasized the existence of a clear mission. “My mission is to make the national team a better team. I’m just here to resolve this issue,” he said. Klopp also reinforced that he does not plan “any ‘career’ after the national team”, considering this the “highlight of my football career as a national team coach”.
Klopp’s coaching team will feature former Liverpool collaborators such as Pep Lijnders, who recently left Manchester City following Pep Guardiola’s departure, and Peter Krawietz. Sven Bender, a former midfielder who played under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, will also join the team.
Marc Kosicke, Klopp’s agent, will also exercise an administrative role focused on “strategy and innovation” within the federation, as reported by the coach.
Former defender Per Mertesacker has been appointed as the federation’s new managing director of sport, working alongside Klopp. His responsibility will be to oversee Germany’s men’s national teams and drive the development of young talent for the senior team.
Mertesacker will start in January after eight years leading Arsenal’s academy. Klopp will have a challenging start in charge of Germany, with four Nations League matches in just 11 days, against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia, between the end of September and the beginning of October.
Since leaving Liverpool in 2024, Klopp has not served as head coach. In January 2025, he had been appointed head of football at Red Bull and was also a World Cup analyst for Magenta TV.
To free Klopp from his role as global head of football at Red Bull, the German Football Federation made a payment of 1 million euros (equivalent to R$5.79 million) to the company’s Wings for Life foundation. Furthermore, it was agreed to hold three international games in Leipzig until 2030, demonstrating the great investment in the arrival of the new coach.
Germany’s elimination in the round of 16 against Paraguay represented the third consecutive World Cup of deep frustration for the team. The team failed to advance beyond the group stage in the 2022 and 2018 editions of the tournament, highlighting the complex scenario that Klopp will have to reverse.
Nagelsmann’s resignation came after three years at the helm of the national team. During his period, Germany reached the quarter-finals of the 2024 Euro Cup, being surpassed by Spain, who would become the tournament champion.
