Klopp 'signals willingness' to take over as Germany coach Nagelsmann resigns after World Cup failure

Jurgen Klopp, left and Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann give interviews after Germany's loss during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Julian Nagelsmann has resigned as Germany coach after his team failed to make the World Cup round of 16 for the third tournament running, and former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is in line to take over.

Nagelsmann’s departure, announced on Friday by the national soccer federation, comes four days after Paraguay stunned Germany on penalties in the round of 32 and follows talks with his bosses.

The federation said it planned to speak to Klopp and “he has already signaled his willingness in general to take on the role.”

It would be Klopp’s first coaching job since leaving Liverpool in 2024.

Nagelsmann changed his mind

Nagelsmann initially said he’d stay on with Germany on a contract which had another two years to run and reportedly made him among the highest-paid coaches at the World Cup. He faced mounting criticism over his tactics and team selection at the tournament.

“In the days since we went out I’ve done a lot of thinking and spoken with trusted people in my personal life and at the (federation),” Nagelsmann said in a statement.

“This decision was anything but easy for me. My main aim has always been the team’s success. After such a bitter disappointment, they’ve earned the chance for a completely fresh start.”

Germany’s defeat by Paraguay followed group-stage losses at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when it was a 32-team tournament. It has not won a men’s World Cup knockout game since beating Argentina in the 2014 final.

Nagelsmann originally said after his side’s exit that he was “not one to walk away” but he then returned home for crisis talks with the federation on Thursday.

His departure drew a tribute from the head of the German government.

“The chancellor thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his commitment and service in recent years as national team coach,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told reporters at a government news conference that was taking place as the news arrived.

Klopp was pitchside at World Cup

Klopp was a high-profile presence as a pundit on German TV at the World Cup, even taking part in postgame interviews with Nagelsmann at the side of the field.

“I haven’t thought about it,” Klopp told Magenta TV on Monday after Germany went out, adding it was “not the moment to really talk about it”.

Klopp is currently in an executive role as head of global soccer for the Red Bull group. Germany’s next game isn’t until Sept. 24 in the Nations League against the Netherlands.

Nagelsmann sparked debate in Germany by recalling 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer before the World Cup after using Oliver Baumann in qualifying.

There was also criticism of his decision to keep starting Leroy Sane, another of his old Bayern Munich players, on the wing, and to give the right-back role to Joshua Kimmich, who usually plays as a midfielder at Bayern, rather than pick a specialist.

That left central defender Waldemar Anton covering the position in the latter stages of the loss to Paraguay. Tall striker Nick Woltemade played every game in qualifying but stayed on the bench at the World Cup until near the end of the round of 32 game.

Nagelsmann joins Koeman and Bielsa in leaving

The youngest coach at the World Cup at 38, Nagelsmann had been in the Germany job since 2023 and extended his contract last year through to Euro 2028. Initially a stopgap replacement ahead of hosting Euro 2024, he stayed on after a quarterfinal loss in that tournament to eventual champion Spain.

Nagelsmann is the latest in a string of big-name coaches to leave after early exits at the World Cup.

Ronald Koeman left the Netherlands after a shock loss on penalties which came hours after Germany’s defeat.

Coaches for Ecuador, South Korea, Scotland and the Czech Republic have all left too, while Marcelo Bielsa was already planning to step down as Uruguay coach even before the team was eliminated in the group stage.

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James Ellingworth, The Associated Press