DFB and Klopp agree on key points: Negotiations with Red Bull to follow

According to information from "Bild," the DFB representatives met with Klopp and his advisor Marc Kosicke on Friday afternoon at a hotel near New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. The talks in the hotel's conference room reportedly began at 2:10 p.m. local time and lasted more than four hours; at 6:43 p.m., the coach was said to have given some autographs in the lobby in a relaxed and good mood before leaving the hotel. ZDF sports director Rudi Völler had previously stated that in a longer phone call it had quickly become clear "schnell herauskristallisiert, dass das am Ende auch funktionieren kann und wird."

Contract through 2030 under discussion

A contract covering a World Cup cycle through 2030 is on the table. The 59-year-old is reportedly expected to bring his former assistants Peter Krawietz and Pepijn Lijnders as co-coaches and to have a structural say at the association. Krawietz currently works as "Head of Soccer Philosophy" at Red Bull, while Lijnders was previously coach at FC Red Bull Salzburg. Klopp himself had already publicly signaled his interest in the DFB job on several occasions and had already expressed initial willingness to the energy company. "Ich bin mehr als aufgetankt, ich bin bereit," the former coach of Borussia Dortmund and FC Liverpool had said.

The biggest sticking point in the personnel matter remains the outstanding agreement with Red Bull. Klopp's contract as "Head of Global Soccer" at the Austrian beverage company runs until 2029 and, according to "Bild," contains no exit clause. A termination would need to be negotiated with Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff. The still-necessary talks are to follow next week, according to the DFB. According to "Bild" information, a multi-million euro transfer fee is no longer expected; instead, Klopp is to remain with the company as a brand ambassador.

Sticking point: Klopp's contract with Red Bull

Parallel to the negotiations, criticism of a possible dual role for the designated national team coach is forming in Germany. Former DFB President Theo Zwanziger told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that Red Bull wants to "Macht gewinnen in den Sport hinein, durch eine Person mit der neben dem Präsidenten wichtigsten Funktion im deutschen Fußball, vielleicht sogar die allerwichtigste." A national team coach under the banner of the Austrian company would be "ein völliges No-Go." The 81-year-old added: "Der Bundestrainer kann nicht zwei Hüte tragen" and continued: "Ich könnte mir einen Bundestrainer mit Brause-Cap auf der Bank keinesfalls vorstellen."

Criticism of dual role and hasty search

Skeptical voices are also coming from the circle of former national team players. Bastian Schweinsteiger criticized the DFB leadership's trip as "ein bisschen hektisch" and advised the association to "ein bisschen tiefer zu stapeln." Schweinsteiger also asked: "Hat der DFB Alternativen? Mir persönlich fehlt bei der Suche nach dem Nachfolger von Julian Nagelsmann ein bisschen die Souveränität." World Cup captain Philipp Lahm, independently of the Red Bull question, openly raised the question of whether Klopp is even "die Ideallösung." Former world champion Jürgen Kohler said that while Klopp is an exceptional motivator, "aber auch er kann keine Wunder vollbringen. Es geht nicht darum, einfach nur ein paar Sprüche zu machen."

Thomas Kessen, spokesperson for the fan alliance "Unsere Kurve," told SID that such a constellation would be "ein weiterer Kniefall vor dem Kapital." The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote of a "faustischen Pakt, einer Verabredung, deren Preis man erst erkennt, wenn es zu spät ist." Supporters point to Klopp's sporting record: with Mainz 05, he achieved promotion to the Bundesliga in 2004; with Borussia Dortmund, he won the German championship in 2011 and 2012 and the DFB Cup in 2012. In 2015, he moved to FC Liverpool, leading them to the Champions League title in 2019 and the English league championship in 2020.

Time pressure: First international matches in September

The time pressure on the DFB is high. Vice President Watzke had recently indicated a timeframe of four weeks in a ZDF interview to finally resolve the personnel matter, while also expressing optimism: "Wir wollen unseren Masterplan A versuchen durchzusetzen." The first international matches under the new national team coach are planned for September. The association is seeking a successor to Julian Nagelsmann, who had resigned from his post following Germany's disappointing World Cup exit in the round of 16 against Paraguay in a penalty shootout.

Klopp is working as a TV expert for MagentaTV during the ongoing World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, which for the first time features 48 nations. A return to the coaching bench would carry special significance for him for that reason as well: a World Cup title with Germany would be the greatest achievement in the association's history, one the 59-year-old could now build on as national coach after his triumphs in Dortmund and Liverpool.

Meanwhile, the tournament continues to intensify on the sporting front. Argentina, the defending champion and featuring World Cup record goalscorer Lionel Messi in the squad, faces Switzerland in the German nighttime hours of Sunday (3 a.m./MagentaTV) in the quarterfinal at the football temple of the Kansas City Chiefs. England, Norway, and Belgium complete the quarterfinals; the final pitch is already being offered in the official FIFA shop before the final on July 19 at the equivalent of around 390 euros per piece – with the most expensive editions costing up to 2,500 euros.