DFB and Klopp Close to Agreement: National Team Coach Contract Through 2030 Without Compensation for Red Bull

Negotiations Close to Conclusion

The contract has not yet been signed. For this reason, Neuendorf and Watzke reportedly want to depart, probably from Frankfurt am Main, for America over the weekend to meet Klopp there in person and "gegenseitige Vorstellungen auszutauschen". The DFB itself declined to comment on the situation on Thursday and rejected an SID inquiry. It wanted to provide no "Wasserstandsmeldungen" until a contract was signed.

The biggest obstacle on the path to the DFB appears to have been cleared: there will be no million-euro compensation payment to Red Bull, according to information from the "Bild" newspaper. It is true that Klopp is still under contract with the energy drink company until 2029 as Head of Global Soccer. However, this contract can be dissolved in such a way that Klopp remains with the company as a brand ambassador. "Wer die Entstehungsgeschichte von Red Bull im Fußball im Blick hat und die Entwicklung seither, der versteht schnell, dass es auf ein paar Millionen mehr oder weniger am Ende wahrscheinlich gar nicht ankommt," the report continues.

Red Bull Forgoes Compensation

Indeed, Klopp is regarded by the Austrian corporation as an omnipresent promotional figure. According to "Bild", the relationship between the brand and the coach is closer than merely an employment contract. Red Bull's managing director, Oliver Mintzlaff, was last seen in good spirits in the hospitality area at the Formula 1 race in Silverstone – though for the 50-year-old, the trip was primarily still about motorsport business.

Klopp's advertising deal with Adidas is likewise reportedly not an obstacle. The contract expires after the World Cup anyway and will not be extended, because the DFB is switching to Nike at the beginning of 2027 in any case. Over the entire four-year term through the 2030 World Cup, Klopp's contract is expected to bring in just under 30 million euros.

Klopp's Plans for the DFB

With the appointment, Klopp would sign on as national team coach for a World Cup cycle through 2030. A start in early 2027 could therefore fit well. "Bild" even named a date for Klopp's first appearance as national team coach: the Supercup on Saturday, August 22, at 8:30 p.m., when Borussia Dortmund meets FC Bayern. The date is only realistic, however, if the contract is wrapped up by then.

In terms of content, Klopp already has clear ideas. "Natürlich geht es um Struktur. Aber um etwas zu verändern, muss man zuallererst wissen, was wirklich passiert," he said during his second national team coach Q&A session as a MagentaTV expert with Johannes B. Kerner. The DFB must "alles hinterfragen" all the way down to the U10 level, he had said previously in his expert role. He laid out his plan openly on air the day after the DFB team's embarrassing World Cup exit against Paraguay in the Round of 16 (3:4 on penalties).

The Team Behind Klopp

At Klopp's side, according to "kicker" information, is to come his long-time confidant Peter Krawietz, currently "Head of Soccer Philosophy" at Red Bull, as one of the assistant coaches. Youth director Hannes Wolf could take on an even more prominent role. Additionally, 2014 World Cup winner Per Mertesacker is said to be coming to the DFB – though he is initially planning a "Urlaub" with a subsequent break "um zu reflektieren, was ich alles erlebt habe".

Watzke, Klopp's old friend from BVB, had also recently weighed in on the public debate. On ZDF, he already spoke of the "leichten Patriotismus-Abschlag" he expected from Klopp – in other words, a certain salary reduction out of love for the country. Whether this will still play a role in the final talks remains open. Watzke had already broached the subject with Klopp in an interview.

There is little financial poker in the negotiations. The DFB has reserves, but it is not a bottomless pot – despite the Nike deal taking effect from 2027. "Alle wissen, dass Klopp seinen Preis haben wird, doch es geht um mehr als ein Millionen-Grundgehalt," the "Bild" newspaper writes. For the 59-year-old himself, it had also recently been uncomfortable that so much had already been discussed publicly.

Finances and Open Questions

ZDF football expert René Adler considers the role of former sporting director Rudi Völler, who had stabilized Nagelsmann during a difficult phase, to be unnecessary in a Klopp era: "Die Rolle, die er hatte, braucht es bei Jürgen Klopp nicht." The former goalkeeper justifies this with Klopp's radiance and his willingness to involve himself directly in all areas of the association.

That such a change succeeds precisely in a World Cup year is not something to be taken for granted. The DFB had previously announced a prominent coach appointment during the summer break on two occasions – in 2000 with Christoph Daum and in 2004 with Ottmar Hitzfeld. Both personnel decisions failed at the time for different reasons. This time, however, the conditions appear to be different.

With the appointment of Klopp, the DFB would attempt to deliver a morale-boosting move after the World Cup debacle against Paraguay. The team, which had already been eliminated in the first knockout round in the USA, needs a sporting reset. For Klopp himself, after stints in Mainz, Dortmund, and Liverpool, it would be the first job as a national team coach – and the biggest of his coaching career.

The Bild newspaper further wrote on Thursday that the contracts were to be signed after all parties returned from the USA. Until then, the association is keeping quiet – which is not unusual for a personnel decision of this magnitude. But the direction seems clear: if no unexpected obstacles arise, Jürgen Klopp will become national team coach.