Klopp unveiled as Germany coach with no-severance quit pledge
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Jurgen Klopp was unveiled as Germany's new head coach, replacing Julian Nagelsmann after the 2026 World Cup, where Germany were knocked out by Paraguay in the round of 32.
- Klopp pledged to quit without severance if the DFB decides he's no longer wanted: "The day you don't want me anymore, I'm gone, without any severance pay."
- Klopp said he wants involvement in German football's structures beyond the senior team, adding: "Whoever brings in Jurgen, gets Jurgen."
- Klopp acknowledged Germany "aren't number one" with "11 nations ahead of us in the ranking," pointing to France's depth (Dembélé, Mbappé, Doué, Barcola) as the kind of pool Germany currently lacks.
- Klopp's coaching staff will be Peter Krawietz, Pepijn Lijnders and Sven Bender; Per Mertesacker will replace Andreas Rettig as DFB managing director at year's end, confirmed president Bernd Neuendorf.
- Germany have now exited three straight World Cups before the quarterfinals — group-stage in 2018 and 2022, then a round-of-32 loss to Paraguay in 2026 — since winning the 2014 title.
Why it matters: Klopp inherits a German team eliminated before the quarterfinals in three straight World Cups. His demand for structural involvement — not just tactical control — and his no-severance exit pledge suggest he negotiated authority beyond the coaching role. The parallel Mertesacker-for-Rettig DFB swap signals the federation is backing that scope with administrative turnover.
