The German Football Association announced today, Friday, the appointment of Jürgen Klopp as the new head coach of the German national team. He takes over from Julian Nagelsmann, who left his post after the failure at the 2026 World Cup.
Klopp, 59, has signed a contract running until the end of the 2030 World Cup and will begin his duties on 15 August, the association confirmed in an official statement.
Ratification by the association's general assembly council gave Klopp the green light to lead the German national team, the final step before the official announcement.
Since leaving Liverpool in 2024, Klopp had turned down numerous coaching offers. Now he returns to the dugout through international football for the first time in his career.
Nagelsmann's departure came after Germany crashed out in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, beaten by Paraguay on penalties (5-4) after the match finished level. The exit fell well short of the targets the association had set before the tournament.
Having taken charge in September 2023 as successor to Hansi Flick, Nagelsmann saw his contract, which ran until 2028, terminated by mutual agreement with the association.
Guardiola's man among Klopp's backroom staff
Klopp's assistant coaching staff will include Peter Krawietz, Pepijn Lijnders and Sven Bender.
Krawietz and Lijnders rank among Klopp's closest assistants over many years, sharing in numerous accomplishments at Liverpool, most notably the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
Dutchman Lijnders, 43, had recently served as assistant coach to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Krawietz, 54, joins the German Football Association from the Red Bull group, having previously worked with Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
Bender, 37, returns to the German Football Association after coaching stints with Borussia Dortmund and Unterhaching. He also worked as an assistant coach for Germany's under-16 and under-17 teams between 2022 and 2024, alongside a playing career that brought seven senior caps.
Klopp: the German national team unites us more than anything else
Klopp said after signing the contract: "The national team is able to unite Germans as nothing else does, and that is what makes this task so special for me."
He added: "I am grateful for everything I experienced and learned over the past year and a half with Red Bull, and I thank them for the spirit of cooperation and openness that made this agreement possible."
He continued: "I now look forward to this special task in German football, and we will work together with humility and patience to build a team that fights for one another, enjoys football, and deserves the German fans to rally around it with full conviction."
German Football Association: he was our first choice without hesitation
The president of the German Football Association, Bernd Neuendorf, insisted Klopp had been the first candidate from the outset. "Jürgen Klopp embodies passion, credibility and the ability to inspire others, which is why he was our first choice without any hesitation after Julian Nagelsmann's resignation," he said.
He added: "I extend my thanks to everyone who contributed to reaching this agreement, foremost among them Oliver Mintzlaff for the constructive negotiations and his cooperative spirit, as well as Aki Watzke for his great support."
Hans-Joachim Watzke, the association's first vice-president, said: "For me, Jürgen is one of the best coaches in the world. He develops his players and excels at leading people and uniting them, which is exactly what the German national team needs."
Rudi Völler, the German Football Association's sporting director, was equally glowing: "Over many years, Jürgen Klopp has proven his ability to develop young players and achieve results under pressure. He also possesses a leadership personality capable of motivating players and fans, and I am excited to work with him."
One of the most prominent German coaches
Few figures loom larger in modern German coaching. Klopp built great success with Borussia Dortmund, leading them to two Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, along with the German Cup in 2012.
His time at Liverpool proved just as distinguished. He led the club to the UEFA Champions League title in 2019, then to the top of the Premier League in 2020, ending a wait that had lasted three decades.
Klopp takes his first international gathering at the end of September and the beginning of October, when he will contest four internationals. It starts with a clash against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on 24 September, followed by Greece in Augsburg on 27 September, Serbia in Munich on 1 October, and a return against Greece in Thessaloniki on 4 October.
The German Football Association hopes Klopp will lead the rebuild and restore the national team's standing on the international stage, with the 2030 World Cup the challenge that looms largest.