Klopp set to replace Nagelsmann as Germany coach

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Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly set to be sacked as Germany coach, tabloid Bild reported Thursday, with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp the favourite to take over in the dugout.

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Nagelsmann, 38, has been under fire since Germany’s last 32 exit from the World Cup after a shock loss to Paraguay.

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Showing pictures of Nagelsmann at German FA (DFB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Bild reported Thursday the coach had been offered a severance package of seven million euros ($8 million) to leave the position in a three-hour meeting.

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Last renewed in January 2025, Nagelsmann’s contract is set to run until 2028.

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Figures on his annual salary have not been made public, although German media reports he earns roughly seven million euros per year.

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Germany’s loss on penalties to Paraguay marked the third straight early World Cup exit for the four-time champions, after group stage eliminations in Russia and Qatar.

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Monday’s defeat was Germany’s first knockout match since winning the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

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On Tuesday, DFB president Bernd Neuendorf announced an immediate investigation into the World Cup failure.

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A decision on Nagelsmann is expected “by the beginning of next week at the latest”, AFP sports subsidiary SID reported Thursday.

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Several German media outlets, including Sky and Munich daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, have said Klopp is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Nagelsmann.

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Klopp stepped away from management after leaving Liverpool in 2024 and has since been engaged as the head of global football for energy drink brand Red Bull, overseeing a multi-club network which includes clubs in Austria, Germany, Brazil, the United States and Japan.

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AFP

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