Two years after leaving Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp is reportedly set for a return to management in another high-profile role.
The former Reds manager attributed his decision to step down at Anfield in 2024 to ‘running out of energy’ and has held the title of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull for the past 18 months.
He teased a potential return to the dugout in March of this year when telling reporters that he’s ‘not completely finished’ as a coach, and fresh developments would suggest that he’s as good as his word.
At 10:45am on Sunday, Fabrizio Romano took to X to reveal: ‘BREAKING: Jürgen Klopp as new Germany head coach, here we go! Klopp has accepted to take over; long-term contract details, project and RB Group exit still under discussion, but he will be the new head coach. RB considered [Oliver] Glasner as replacement but he signs at [Nottingham Forest]. Klopp is back.’
Exactly an hour later, Florian Plettenberg reported (via X) that an agreement has yet to be reached between the DFB (German federation) and Red Bull over Klopp’s exit from the latter, with the energy drinks company set to push for a compensation fee. Discussions to that effect are ‘expected to continue for several more days’.
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While Klopp hasn’t officially been confirmed as Julian Nagelsmann’s successor as Germany head coach, it now appears most likely that the ex-Liverpool boss will soon be in charge of his country, thus ending a two-year hiatus from management.
For the 59-year-old, it should strike that perfect balance of the thrill of being back on the touchline after a 23-year managerial career, whilst not dealing with the daily strains of club management and the stresses that it brings all year round.
The Nationalmannschaft find themselves in a somewhat similar position to the Reds when Klopp came to Anfield in 2015, a historically successful team currently on a low ebb after several disappointing years and in need of substantial improvement to get back competing for major trophies.
We all know how transformative an effect Jurgen had on Liverpool, and we wouldn’t put it past him to replicate that with his country over the next few years, with a Red in Florian Wirtz likely to be at the epicentre of any such revival.
The 23-year-old’s presence at LFC could also see our legendary former manager make multiple return visits to Anfield to get a firsthand assessment of our number 7 ahead of international windows, and we’d be firmly in favour of anything which’d incentivise a visit to Merseyside for Klopp!
If (as expected) he’s officially confirmed as Nagelsmann’s replacement, the Germany national team will be well worth watching in the near future.
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