Jurgen Klopp is closing in on becoming Germany’s national team coach after holding talks with senior German football association officials in New York. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke met Klopp on Friday for what the DFB described as their first in-depth discussions regarding his potential appointment.
The DFB confirmed in a statement that the talks were constructive and that an agreement had been reached on the key points of a potential contract. “Both sides are confident that the negotiations — subject to an agreement with Klopp’s current employer, Red Bull — can ultimately be successfully concluded,” the statement read, with further talks scheduled for next week.
Klopp is expected to sign a four-year deal, which would mark his first coaching role since leaving Liverpool in the summer of 2024 after a nine-year tenure, and his first job in international management. He has been working as a pundit for German television at the World Cup. During his time at Liverpool, Klopp won seven major honours, including the 2019-20 Premier League title and the 2019 Champions League.
Watzke, 69, shares a close working relationship with Klopp from their time together at Borussia Dortmund, where Watzke served as chief executive from 2005 until he stepped down at his own request last year. That bond is said to be a key factor in the speed of negotiations. Klopp previously led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles between 2008 and 2015, and spent seven years in charge of Mainz 05, the club where he spent most of his playing career.
Germany have endured a difficult run at recent World Cups, failing to advance beyond the group stage in both 2018 and 2022 after Joachim Low’s triumph in 2014. Julian Nagelsmann, who took charge in September 2023 following Hansi Flick’s departure, saw his contract extended twice before stepping down after his second major tournament.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
