Frankfurt am Main, July 7, 2026
After the German national football team's Round of 16 exit at the World Cup, the DFB is parting ways with head coach Julian Nagelsmann, while sporting director Rudi Völler will remain in office and is expected to accompany the announced reset alongside designated national team coach Jürgen Klopp.
The German national football team has been eliminated in the Round of 16 at the ongoing World Cup. As the German Football Association (DFB) announced on Tuesday, head coach Julian Nagelsmann was released in the wake of the tournament exit. It had already been reported beforehand that Jürgen Klopp is earmarked as the future national team coach.
The sporting leadership in the background, by contrast, remains unchanged: Rudi Völler, who took over the role of sporting director following the group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will continue to fulfill his contract. This was reported, among others, by Deutschlandfunk on July 7, 2026. In doing so, the association sends a signal of continuity amid the disappointment over the early elimination.
Völler Stays – Klopp Arrives
Völler himself announced his intention to contribute to rebuilding the squad alongside the designated national team coach Klopp. "Ich werde meinen Vertrag erfüllen", he had previously told several media outlets. Völler sees his role as helping shape structures and squad planning, while Klopp is to assume sporting responsibility on the pitch.