Klopp (right) has been out of management since leaving Liverpool in 2024.

The German football association is seeking talks with Jurgen Klopp about becoming the men's national team coach after Julian Nagelsmann resigned. Nagelsmann requested to be relieved of his duties on Thursday following the team's early exit from the World Cup. The German FA (DFB) has now granted that request and immediately terminated its contractual relationship with the 38-year-old former Bayern Munich boss.

In a statement, the DFB said it "will now seek talks with Jurgen Klopp", adding: "He has already signalled his general willingness to take on the position." Germany bowed out of the World Cup on Monday when the four-time winners were beaten by Paraguay on penalties in the last 32.

Initially Nagelsmann, who was appointed in 2023, was determined to remain in charge, saying after the game: "I'm not someone who runs away." But in a statement on Friday, he said: "I've done a lot of thinking in the days since our elimination and have consulted with trusted individuals both personally and within the federation. The decision was anything but easy for me. My top priority has always been the team's success. After such a bitter disappointment, they deserve the chance for a fresh start."

This was Nagelsmann's second major tournament, with Germany having reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals as hosts before losing in extra time to eventual winners Spain. Germany have not won a World Cup knockout game since they were crowned champions in 2014. They failed to get beyond the group stage in 2018 and 2022, under Joachim Low and Hansi Flick respectively.

Nagelsmann, who has also managed German club sides RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim, replaced Flick in September 2023, initially on a contract until after Euro 2024. It was later extended to this year's World Cup and then to Euro 2028.

"After the disappointing World Cup exit for everyone, Julian's decision deserves our respect, because he's taking responsibility where he'd like to continue shaping things, and putting the national team as a whole above himself," said DFB sporting director Rudi Voller. "Of course, we all would have liked a different outcome to the tournament and a more convincing performance from our team. But Julian is and remains an excellent coach, and I'm convinced he'll continue on his successful path."

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This video can not be played 'Germany play one way - and it doesn't work anymore'. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said the team must take responsibility for their early exit this summer. However, it was Nagelsmann who chose to play Kimmich as a right-back instead of employing the Bayern Munich midfielder in his usual role. He also decided to bring Galatasaray winger Leroy Sane back into his starting line-up and recall 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer when Oliver Baumann had played in all six World Cup qualifiers.

In a statement on Wednesday, DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said he spoke with Nagelsmann, Voller and DFB sporting director Andreas Rettig on Tuesday, and they agreed that "Germany's performance at the World Cup did not meet our standards". Neuendorf added: "Over the coming days, we will take the time to discuss the reasons together and in a calm manner: why the team were unable to show the quality they have, and why they failed to live up to their own expectations and those of football fans across Germany. "After a setback of this magnitude, and with the challenges ahead in mind, we cannot and will not simply move on as if nothing has happened."

Speaking after the defeat by Paraguay, ex-Germany defender Arne Friedrich said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "If you consider the whole tournament, the way we played, it is a deserved loss. Nagelsmann has to face the consequences. It is very disappointing, but that is sport. I would definitely say the journey continues without Nagelsmann." Former Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, speaking on BBC One, added: "It's hard to explain how Germany got into this tournament with so many problems. It's unacceptable. It doesn't look good for Nagelsmann. In the last few months, he hasn't dealt with situations well. With the expanded World Cup format, to go out so early would be tough to take for any big nation."

Klopp led Liverpool to seven major honours during nine years at Anfield, including the 2019-20 Premier League title and the Champions League in 2019. The 59-year-old stepped down in 2024 and became Red Bull's head of global football in January 2025. He has repeatedly been linked with a return to club management, most notably with Real Madrid in March, which he said was "all nonsense".

But Klopp's presence at the World Cup, where he has been working as a pundit for German television, overshadowed Germany's campaign even before the team were eliminated. Before their opening game, he and former Germany striker Thomas Muller discussed their preferred line-ups and Klopp said: "Fortunately, Julian Nagelsmann is picking the team - still." It hinted that Klopp was set to replace the incumbent sooner rather than later, although he later apologised and explained that it was merely a slip of the tongue.

However, the DFB has now confirmed he is willing to consider taking on the role. In January 2024, when Klopp made the shock announcement he would leave Liverpool that summer, he said he was "running out of energy". Having spent time away from the day-to-day grind of managing a top-flight club, it seems the former Borussia Dortmund and Mainz boss is ready for a return to coaching in the international arena.

Klopp spoke to Nagelsmann as part of his work as a television pundit at the World Cup. Due to his job as a pundit for MagentaTV, Klopp has had a strong presence around the national team in recent weeks. He and former Germany striker Muller have great on-screen chemistry and have become favourites of the German audience watching the World Cup from home.

At the same time, many have been wondering if or when Klopp would be willing to return to coaching. His appointment by Red Bull was met with mixed reactions due to RB Leipzig's rise to a Bundesliga powerhouse. That being said, Klopp remains one of the most popular figures in German football and, in light of the loss to Paraguay and Nagelsmann's fall from grace, he is seen as a saviour for the national team.

He earns about £8.5m per year in his position at Red Bull, £2.5m more than what Nagelsmann received as Germany team coach. It will certainly be an expensive hire for the DFB, but announcing they would enter talks with Klopp indicates they are quite certain they can come to an agreement.

The immediate goal for Klopp would be to qualify for Euro 2028 and lead a successful campaign. Over the long haul, Klopp would be asked to renew the national team and bring them back to the pre-2016 level. The fact sporting director Rettig won't extend his DFB contract and thus leaves at the end of the year indicates that more changes are to come. Rettig was responsible for the national team and the DFB's academy within the organisation.

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