DFB seeks talks with Klopp: Trip to the USA and final contractual hurdles

Background

The DFB responded to the World Cup debacle the day before the now-available SID report with an initial statement: As a first step toward filling the position, the association would seek talks with Jürgen Klopp. Klopp himself had previously hinted in an interview with MagentaTV on a New York rooftop that he was ready for the task: „Ich bin mittlerweile mehr als aufgetankt, also ich bin bereit." He also described German football as standing at a turning point: „Der deutsche Fußball steht jetzt natürlich an einem Wendepunkt. Wir müssen jetzt Dinge grundlegend verändern."

Personnel decisions in the DFB environment

At the same time, Klopp made clear that time would be needed before any signature. When asked what was still missing for the contract signing, he answered briefly: „Zeit." First, he would also have to clarify contractual matters with his current employer Red Bull, where he holds a contract as Head of Global Soccer running until 2029. Klopp put it himself as follows: „Red Bull muss sauber aus der Nummer rauskommen können." He also announced that the talks with the DFB would be intensive: „Es werden intensive Gespräche sein müssen, weil natürlich die Probleme, die wir aktuell haben, nicht an der Personalie Julian Nagelsmann hängen."

Personnel decisions in the DFB environment

The national team coach candidate and his career stations

With regard to the association's sporting leadership, another change is also emerging. Sporting director Andreas Rettig will leave the DFB at the end of the year, as the SID report notes. In addition, Rudi Völler, the 66-year-old DFB sporting director, is considering his future according to dpa information; according to Sport1, a decision could be made as early as next week. Völler's future role apparently also depends on who is appointed as the new national team coach: he wants to explore in a direct conversation with Klopp whether there is a basis for cooperation. „Es geht – auch als Signal – wohl nicht nur um einen Vertrag bis zur EM 2028, sondern gleich bis zur WM 2030", the report adds.

At the same time, according to Bild, talks about the sporting direction are to take place in the USA that go well beyond a personnel decision. The fact that the distance between New York and the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt is over 6,000 kilometers underscores the logistical effort the DFB leadership is making for the meeting with Klopp. President Bernd Neuendorf is 64 years old, and his vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke is 67; Watzke shares a long-standing working relationship with Klopp from their joint time at Borussia Dortmund, where both won titles.

The national team coach candidate and his career stations

Possible assistant coaches and advisors

Klopp himself is 59 years old and is staying mostly in New York during the tournament, where he will accompany the World Cup final on 19 June in New York/New Jersey as a TV expert for MagentaTV. Telekom TV chief Arnim Butzen explained to SID: „Wir planen mit Jürgen Klopp bis zum Ende des Turniers, er wird beim Finale mit dem kompletten Experten-Team für uns im Einsatz sein." Alongside Klopp, Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels will also be deployed as additional TV experts. Klopp's next planned MagentaTV appearance is the round-of-16 match between Brazil and Norway on Sunday at 22:00 CET in East Rutherford.

Klopp also spoke to the Austrian private broadcaster ServusTV, which belongs to Red Bull Media House GmbH. He made clear there that the World Cup experience was also personally valuable to him: „Es ist wie eine Fortbildung. Also wie auch immer es für mich weitergeht, blöder werde ich nach dieser Weltmeisterschaft sicher nicht sein." His sporting background includes titles with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool FC, and his defining playing style is based on gegenpressing, immediate reaction after losing possession, and vertical transitional moments after winning the ball.

Release and financial framework conditions

Possible assistant coaches and advisors

According to SID, two long-time companions are primarily being discussed as possible members of his future coaching staff. Peter Krawietz (54), currently Head of Soccer Philosophy at Red Bull Soccer International, already worked closely with Klopp as a scout in Mainz (2001–2008) and as an assistant coach at Borussia Dortmund (2008–2015) as well as at Liverpool FC (2015–2024). Pepijn Lijnders is also being discussed as a possible assistant, according to Bild; he was previously Klopp's chief assistant at Liverpool, briefly coached Red Bull Salzburg, and most recently worked as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. In addition, the 47-year-old Hungarian Zsolt Löw is being mentioned as a possible assistant coach.

Voices from the football community

Release and financial framework conditions

At Red Bull, Oliver Mintzlaff, currently CEO of the group, is regarded as the central decision-maker regarding a possible release of Klopp. Mintzlaff himself had presented Klopp about a year and a half ago as a „Königstransfer ohne Ablöse" and was previously responsible for the rise of RB Leipzig over many years. However, Mintzlaff is at the Formula 1 race in Silverstone in England; a personal meeting with the DFB leadership in the USA has not been publicly announced for the time being. It is generally expected that the DFB will have to pay a transfer or compensation fee to Red Bull to secure Klopp's release; Mintzlaff once negotiated a transfer fee of over 25 million euros from RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich for Julian Nagelsmann.

According to SID information, a lucrative Nike deal could also contribute to financing the project, providing the DFB with additional funds. Another point: Klopp still has a personal advertising contract with Nike competitor Adidas, which was concluded on a long-term basis in 2020 and expires at the end of the year. Within the DFB, this is not seen as a problem, according to the report.

A possible transfer fee would not be the only financial item in the upheaval. According to SID information, Julian Nagelsmann will receive a severance payment of seven million euros despite his resignation.

Voices from the football community

In the football community, the possible appointment of Klopp is being received predominantly positively. Christian Heidel, who himself made Klopp coach of Mainz 05 in 2001 and described himself as „dicke Freunde" with him in an SWR Sport interview, said: „Das wäre nicht nur in Deutschland so, das wäre wahrscheinlich auf der halben Welt so", that Klopp is the best choice that could possibly be made. Heidel sees in Klopp a „Menschenfänger" who „emotional ist, der die Spieler mitreißen kann, der eine direkte Ansage hat, der ein klares Konzept hat". At the same time, he warns: „Er ist ja nicht der Messias, der jetzt kommt. Er trifft ja auch auf Voraussetzungen. Er muss auch die Spieler haben." Heidel sees German football „Lichtjahre von der Weltspitze entfernt", calls for a decision „in aller Ruhe auch im Familienkreis", and predicts that „die Erwartungshaltung natürlich vom ersten Tag an wieder unermesslich" would be.

Heidel also drew parallels to Julian Nagelsmann: „Ich würde sagen, Empathie, Ausstrahlung, das Emotionale, das ist jetzt nicht unbedingt die große Stärke von Julian, das ist aber die große Stärke von Jürgen Klopp." In his view, Nagelsmann remains an „überragender Trainer", whose strengths, however, lie in the daily training of a club team: „Aber er ist ein Trainer, der seine Stärken dann zeigen kann, wenn er täglich mit einer Mannschaft arbeitet. Und bei einer Nationalmannschaft ist das nicht möglich." Heidel also looked back at the mood before the World Cup: „als wir in die USA abgeflogen sind, dass wir Weltmeister werden müssen", had dominated the conversations on the plane; „Aber das bedeutet nicht, dass wir in vier Jahren als Top-Favorit zur Weltmeisterschaft fahren."

Lothar Matthäus also spoke critically about the past Nagelsmann project in his