DFB ties down Völler as sporting director – and tempts Klopp with mega salary

In parallel to the personnel questions surrounding Völler and Nagelsmann, "BILD" reports that the DFB is now courting Jürgen Klopp intensively. According to the report, the 58-year-old has been presented with an offer featuring an exceptionally high salary that is said to far exceed Klopp's previous sporting achievements. Klopp had taken a break after stepping down as Liverpool coach and had rejected several offers from professional football.

The DFB therefore faces several decisive decisions in the near term. Völler's continued presence initially secures continuity in the sporting leadership for the association, while the offer to Klopp points to a strategic realignment. Association president Bernd Neuendorf and DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke had recently stressed that they wanted to thoroughly review the structures surrounding the national team.

It remains unclear in which role Klopp could come aboard at the DFB. Reportedly conceivable would be a position above the classic sporting director, possibly with comprehensive responsibility for the strategic direction of the national team. Whether Klopp is even willing to return to the Bundesliga or to the DFB is an open question.

Open coaching question

The coming weeks are likely to show whether the DFB achieves the desired effect with the salary offer. Should Klopp decline, the association would have to push ahead with the sporting reorganization using other candidates. In that case, Völler would continue to have the task of organizing the transition.

DFB president Neuendorf had announced immediately after the World Cup exit that a comprehensive analysis of the tournament would be conducted. This includes sporting, organizational, and personnel questions. With Völler's confirmation and the efforts to recruit Klopp, initial answers are becoming visible, even though the coaching question remains open for now.

For the German national team, the phase of upheaval also means a difficult sporting situation. After the missed title in America, international matches against, among others, Paraguay and a match venue in New York are on the schedule. Which personnel will then be on the pitch depends significantly on how quickly the DFB fills the open positions.