Klopp warns media he will quit Germany job if family is harassed

Jurgen Klopp has warned he will walk away from his new role as Germany head coach if his family is subjected to intrusive media attention, insisting he is “always ready to leave” the post.

The former Liverpool manager was unveiled on Friday as successor to Julian Nagelsmann and will lead the national team through to the 2030 World Cup.

Speaking at his official presentation, Klopp set out both his ambitions for Germany and clear red lines over media conduct.

“I am always ready to leave,” Klopp said. “I fully understand this is now my number one job. My task is to make the national team better and to help develop the pool of players I can choose from.”

He stressed that his work was not in opposition to the media, but said he would not tolerate a hostile environment around his family.

“I’m not doing this against you, but for you,” he continued. “I will be paid well, and if tomorrow’s headline is ‘Jurgen Klopp is bad’, then I will go.

“If the DFB [German Football Association] say, ‘let’s continue without you’, then it’s over.

“And if you, the media, behave badly and do not let my family live in peace, then I will leave and turn my back.”

Klopp: Germany job will be my last

Klopp underlined that, despite his readiness to step aside if necessary, taking charge of Germany represents the peak of his career and his final role in management.

“I know there are other countries where national team coaches are treated even worse,” he said. “I love this job, but I am always prepared to walk away if required.

“There will be no further coaching career for me after the Germany national team. This is the pinnacle of my coaching career. I will give everything I have for the national team.”

The 57-year-old returns to the dugout after a nine-year spell at Liverpool, during which he won every major trophy available to him with the club.

Four games to launch new era

Klopp’s tenure with Germany will begin with a hectic run of four fixtures across the next international window in September and October.

His first match will be against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League on 24 September.

Germany will then face Greece on 27 September, which will be Klopp’s first game in charge on home soil, before taking on Serbia on 1 October and meeting Greece again on 4 October.

Financial terms and Red Bull role

According to reports, Klopp will earn a salary slightly higher than the €7m per year that Nagelsmann received as national coach.

The DFB will not pay any compensation to Red Bull for releasing Klopp from his contractual obligations.

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

Klopp’s appointment marks his first job since leaving Liverpool, where he spent almost a decade transforming the club’s fortunes and securing the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

He now turns his focus to reviving Germany’s fortunes on the international stage, while making it clear that respect for his family’s privacy will be a non-negotiable condition of his time in charge.