Jurgen Klopp becomes Germany coach after another World Cup setback
Germany hired Jurgen Klopp to lead its men’s team after another World Cup failure, Al Jazeera, AFP and AP reported.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
The Jurgen Klopp Germany coach appointment gives the former Liverpool manager one of football’s most scrutinized jobs after another poor World Cup for the men’s national team. Germany hired Klopp after dismissing Julian Nagelsmann following a round-of-32 loss to Paraguay on penalties, Al Jazeera reported with AFP and The Associated Press.
Klopp, 59, is expected to sign a deal running through 2030, the year of the next World Cup, according to the report. He had been in talks with the German Football Association about taking over a side trying to recover its place among the sport’s leading national teams.
Why did Germany hire Jurgen Klopp?
Germany turned to Klopp after a run of major-tournament failures, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and AP. Since winning the 2014 World Cup, the men’s team has exited three straight World Cups in disappointing fashion, including first-round eliminations in 2018 and 2022.
The 2026 tournament added to that record when Germany lost to Paraguay in the round of 32. The report said Germany have won only one knockout match across the past five major tournaments, reaching the Euro 2024 quarterfinals as host.
Klopp arrives with a long record in German and English club football. Al Jazeera, AFP and AP reported that he coached Mainz after spending more than a decade there as a player, then built his reputation further at Borussia Dortmund before moving to Liverpool.
At Liverpool, Klopp led the club to the English league title in 2020, ending a 30-year wait, the report said. He also coached Liverpool to a Champions League title, the club’s sixth European crown.
What was Klopp doing before the Germany job?
Klopp left Liverpool in 2024, citing fatigue, according to the report. During discussions over the Germany role, he described himself as “recharged.”
Since 2025, Klopp had been under contract with Red Bull as its Head of Global Soccer, Al Jazeera, AFP and AP reported. In that post, he oversaw football clubs linked to the Austrian energy drink company, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and the New York Red Bulls.
German media reports cited by Al Jazeera said Red Bull released Klopp without a transfer fee. Instead, the company accepted a donation of one million euros, or about $1.1m, to Wings for Life, Red Bull’s charity foundation supporting research into spinal cord injuries.
The appointment puts Klopp in charge of a national team with a record of four World Cup titles but little recent knockout success. According to the report, his immediate task is to rebuild Germany after the latest tournament exit and prepare the side for the next World Cup cycle.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.