Klopp begins his Germany era with strong messages: if you go after my family, I'll leave, and expect surprises

Klopp fired a direct message at the fans and media, making clear he'll take criticism but won't have his family dragged into it.

He said: "If there is someone who does not care about the future of German football, there is nothing I can do. We have work to do. I have done a few interviews here and there, but I cannot say I missed it. I was surprised by the volume of information and the speed at which it spreads. On the path we are taking, it is important that we do things properly, and not as quickly as possible."

He added: "On the day you do not want me, say so and I will leave, and without any compensation. If you say tomorrow that I am a failure I will leave, but not based on the opinion of one person, rather if that is the general opinion. And if the German Football Association says I have failed I will leave. But if you cross the line and do not leave my family alone, I will leave as well."

He continued: "Criticise me if something does not work, that pleases me because I will work to improve it. It is all about the work. I have no coaching career after the national team, and ideally, this task represents the pinnacle of my career."

Klopp has unveiled his coaching staff, confident he has assembled the best possible team.

On the arrival of Sven Binder, he said: "I have known him for a long time, and I think the situation is ideal. He is a young coach who has previously worked with the German Football Association, and he was a player for the national team. He is an expert in this field, whereas I am not. And for good reason, I was never allowed to enter this building wearing football boots."

The German also confirmed that his close adviser Mark Kosicke is joining the German Football Association. "He will be my assistant for strategy, development and innovation affairs," Klopp explained.

He added: "There is not much that can be said about the current situation, but this is the right moment to review everything and make the necessary adjustments. Improvement usually requires more work, but the most important thing is to focus on the future."

Klopp revealed he had already started running the rule over the squad. He said: "I have watched 57 players. We had many good players at the World Cup, but they did not deliver the expected level. The situation is not bad at all, but it certainly needs improving."

His target was clear. He affirmed: "Not to overestimate myself, but I feel a responsibility towards the German fans to return the national team to the winners' podium. We still have several weeks before the international break, and that is enough time to prepare. Everyone is ready."

The German game's history runs deep for Klopp, and he leaned into that heritage. "I heard that Helmut Schön also lived in Wiesbaden, and I have been living there for a short while. I loved Franz Beckenbauer for everything he gave. Rudi is here too, and I am entitled to mention him. The number 13 seems surprisingly low. For me, German football is prestigious and has a long history, and to become part of this history is something very special."

Klopp denied there had been any contact with his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann. He said: "There was no contact between us. A belated happy birthday to him. I have every respect for him. The day of that comment was one of the worst days of my life, and I knew then that a time bomb was about to go off. I wish I could have avoided it. I apologised, my apology was accepted, and I don't think there are any hard feelings. I wish him all the best, and I think today represents a new chapter for him."

Building a strong relationship with the players would be his first step, Klopp confirmed. He said: "I'm glad the season won't begin tomorrow with the first match, otherwise I would have felt overwhelmed. I'll be following the matches in every country where we have players, including Germany of course. I've gained a deep understanding of things recently, and communication with the players is extremely important. I'll try to reach out to them early, as that will be my first task."

He added: "I've always tended to do more rather than less, and I'll try to do it the right way, for the benefit of the players."

Klopp revealed the outlines of his tactical approach with the German national team, saying: "Counter-pressing will be a key element, alongside a settled line-up and a clear footballing philosophy. And with all these doubts, we will not rely on man-marking, even though the best team in Germany plays with it."

He added: "The national teams that won the World Cup played with four defenders, and we too will play in this style, and we will rely on the wingers, because the playmakers of the current generation have come to occupy these positions."

The German coach insisted the door will stay open to everyone, saying: "Some players will get opportunities they did not expect, because I like to be bold. I have always been that way and I will remain so. I want to work with players who play a brand of football that everyone enjoys. Success may not come immediately, but I want people to go home saying: what a wonderful performance."

Klopp stressed the need to be realistic. He said: "We have to set realistic expectations. The question is: are we currently at France's level? And if the answer is yes, then that is not true."

France, he acknowledged, boast an exceptional group of players. Beating them, though, is far from impossible.

On the value of international football, Klopp was clear. He said: "It has been a long time since I followed international matches outside the major tournaments. I hope these matches return to prominence again. We all know that successful football is capable of changing an entire country."

"When I play my first official match just four days after starting my job, you cannot expect miracles," he added. "But I want to see development, and most importantly, I want the players to show me that wearing the national team shirt is something very special."

Klopp delivered one of his most striking messages during the conference, saying: "I won't be able to please everyone. I will try to do everything in the best possible way for the good of our national team."

He went on: "If we all imagine that we will become world champions within four years, that would be a wonderful feeling. And if we believe in it together, then the neighbour won't seem so annoying the next day, the weather won't be so bad, and Merz won't ruin everything."

On Joshua Kimmich, Klopp said: "I have ideas, but I haven't spoken to anyone yet, so I won't be defining any positions now. The player who delivers the best performance, has the greatest enthusiasm, and develops the moment he pulls on the national team shirt, is the one who will play."

Everyone with a claim on a place, he stressed, would need to earn it: "Everyone who is eligible to represent the national team has to give their absolute best. I will be watching everyone, and no one is ruled out as of today. It's a fresh start."

Bild then asked whether he would wear a tracksuit or a formal suit on the touchline. Klopp answered with a smile: "I haven't missed that. I certainly won't be wearing a tie. I've got older. We'll see. I've had the chance to update my wardrobe in recent years. I feel this outfit is more suited to the new role than his previous style."

Klopp confirmed that following the last World Cup had been an extremely useful experience. He said: "The strength of football lies in its ability to bring people together. The World Cup was the best training opportunity I could have had. The atmosphere in the stadiums was exceptional, and the passion people experienced was incredible."

Germany's promising generation of players also drew praise from the former Liverpool boss. He said: "I looked at the players' names, and my impressions were very positive. We have an enormous amount of talent. We won the Under-17 World Cup and European Championship, and these players should now have reached twenty years of age. Once they have obtained their driving licences, we can make use of them."

Klopp wrapped up by insisting that building a competitive team takes time. He said: "The expectations in Germany are crazy. Imagine if Nagelsmann had said: we only want to reach the semi-finals, what would have happened? Of course we aspire to the highest goals, but we have to realise that we need time to achieve them."

"I want to be strongly involved in developing the organisational structure," he added. "Whoever hires Jürgen Klopp will get Jürgen Klopp with all his ideas. Everyone is happy today, but I'm not sure this feeling will last every single day."

His parting words carried the same message. "I want to improve everything and present the German national team in a positive light so that we ultimately return to the top. I look forward to this challenge. We still have two months until the first match, and it will be in the Netherlands.. my God!"

The international calendar drew his attention too. "When the UEFA Nations League got under way, I told myself that friendly matches were over. We have to balance development with achieving results. I have some ideas, and I won't overwork eleven players all the time, we will find the right solution."