Klopp appointed Germany head coach on contract to 2030 World Cup

Jurgen Klopp has been appointed coach of Germany on a deal running to the 2030 World Cup, with the former Liverpool manager tasked with reviving a national team that has repeatedly underperformed on the biggest stage.

The German football federation confirmed the 59-year-old’s appointment on Friday as he was unveiled at a news conference, announcing a contract that covers the entire qualification cycle for the 2030 tournament.

“It’s a big honour to be sitting here,” Klopp said. “I had an idea how big the job of national team coach is, but when you’re being directly connected with it, you really feel the scale and the responsibility even more.”

Klopp replaces Julian Nagelsmann, who stepped down after Germany’s defeat by Paraguay condemned them to a third consecutive failure to reach the last 16 of a men’s World Cup.

From Liverpool exit to Germany return

The role is Klopp’s first in management since he left Liverpool in 2024, when he cited exhaustion after a long and highly successful spell at Anfield. In public comments made while discussions over the Germany job were ongoing, he said he felt “recharged” following his break from day‐to‐day coaching.

On Friday, Klopp made clear he was ready to take personal responsibility if the appointment did not succeed, saying he would be willing to walk away from the job without any severance settlement. He also warned he could consider resigning if his family were not given privacy.

He said he would not hesitate to quit if the media did not “leave my family in peace”.

Known for his high‐intensity, attacking “heavy metal football” at Liverpool, Klopp quickly emerged as the German federation’s preferred candidate as soon as Nagelsmann left his post.

Deal struck with Red Bull group

In the 18 months since leaving Liverpool, Klopp has served as “head of global soccer” for the Red Bull group, advising its network of clubs, and spent the recent World Cup in the United States working as a pundit for a German‐language broadcaster.

That dual role meant the German federation needed to open discussions with Red Bull to secure his release. Federation president Bernd Neuendorf said there would be no conventional compensation payment to the company.

Instead, the federation has agreed to donate €1m to a Red Bull‐linked charity and to stage three Germany home fixtures in Leipzig, the eastern city whose Bundesliga club is backed by Red Bull.

Demanding start in Nations League

Klopp’s first matches in charge will come in a congested UEFA Nations League window, with Germany scheduled to play four games in 11 days against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia in late September and early October.

He inherits a side that has not won a World Cup knockout match since lifting the trophy in 2014, when they beat Argentina in the final. The subsequent three tournaments have all ended before the quarter‐finals, prompting growing pressure for structural change within the national team setup.

Mertesacker handed senior federation role

One member of that 2014 World Cup‐winning squad will now be working alongside Klopp in a senior off‐field role. Former Germany defender Per Mertesacker has been appointed the federation’s new managing director for sport.

Mertesacker will oversee all German men’s national teams, with a particular focus on improving the pathway from youth level to the senior side. He is due to start in January after eight years in charge of Arsenal’s academy.

The federation hopes that the combination of Klopp’s coaching profile and Mertesacker’s development experience can help restore Germany’s status in international football ahead of the 2030 World Cup cycle.