Jurgen Klopp named new Germany head coach on ‘special mission’ after Nagelsmann exit

Jurgen Klopp has been appointed Germany head coach on a four-year deal to lead the national team through to the 2030 World Cup, the German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed.

The former Liverpool manager replaces Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned after Germany’s shock elimination from the 2026 World Cup in the last 32, losing to Paraguay on penalties.

Klopp, 59, returns to the dugout after ending a nine-year spell at Liverpool, where he won every major trophy available to him at club level. His new role is being presented within the DFB as a “special mission” to rebuild the national side following another disappointing World Cup campaign.

Klopp: ‘A special task for all of German football’

Speaking to the DFB’s official website, Klopp set out his vision for the job and underlined the emotional pull of managing the national team.

“The national team can unite us Germans like almost nothing else,” Klopp said. “And that is precisely what makes this task so incredibly special for me.”

He also paid tribute to his most recent employers, Red Bull, where he has spent the past 18 months in a non-coaching role.

“I am grateful for everything I have gained in terms of experience and what I have learned at Red Bull over the past year and a half, and for the openness that has made this agreement possible,” he added.

“Now I am looking forward to this special mission in German football, which we will approach together with humility and patience: building a team that fights for one another, enjoys its football, and that our people can rally behind with complete confidence.”

Familiar backroom team joins Klopp

Klopp will be reunited with two of his long-standing Liverpool assistants at the DFB.

Peter Krawietz and Pepijn Lijnders will both join the Germany set-up as assistant coaches, continuing a partnership that proved highly successful at Anfield.

Sven Bender will also form part of Klopp’s backroom staff. The former Germany international has previously worked as an assistant coach at Borussia Dortmund and as head coach at SpVgg Unterhaching.

DFB president Bernd Neuendorf hailed the appointment, describing Klopp as the standout candidate after Nagelsmann’s departure.

“Klopp, like hardly any other coach, embodies passion, authenticity and the ability to inspire others,” Neuendorf said.

“After Nagelsmann’s resignation, Klopp was our ideal option to take over the national team. That is why we worked extremely hard to bring him in.”

First matches set for Nations League

Klopp’s first games in charge will come in the next international window in September and October, with a run of four fixtures scheduled.

Germany will face Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League on 24 September, marking Klopp’s debut in the role. Three days later, on 27 September, Germany will meet Greece in what will be Klopp’s first match on home soil as national coach.

The team will then play Serbia on 1 October, before a second meeting with Greece on 4 October.

These fixtures are expected to give Klopp an early opportunity to assess his squad and implement his ideas ahead of the longer-term build-up to the 2030 World Cup.

Contract, salary and Red Bull arrangement

According to reports, Klopp will earn a salary slightly higher than the €7m per year previously paid to Nagelsmann by the DFB.

However, the federation will not pay any compensation to Red Bull to release Klopp from his existing agreement.

Instead, Klopp will remain associated with the company as a brand ambassador, a compromise described as offering greater value to Red Bull than a relatively modest buyout fee.

Klopp’s appointment marks his return to frontline coaching after stepping away from club management at the end of his spell with Liverpool, where he enjoyed sustained success over nine seasons and collected every major honour available to him with the club.