Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp backs Julian Nagelsmann for Germany job

Former TSG Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, and Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann is in pole position to get the nod from the DFB to succeed Hansi Flick as manager of the Germany men’s national team through EURO 2024.

With that, talk of a potential successor is already beginning.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has also been a name long been linked with someday becoming the German national team manager, but he remains loyal to fulfilling his contract at Anfield. There were a handful of rumors floating around suggesting that Klopp could assume a sort of joint managerial role and coach both Liverpool and Germany at the same time, but he’s denied the suggestions and says he is only focused on Liverpool for now.

Klopp does, however, back Nagelsmann to take the job ahead of next summer’s European championships in Germany..

“I think Julian is a really great solution because he’s a great coach. I would be very happy if it happened,” Klopp told RTL Deutschland (via @iMiaSanMia). “Age? It doesn’t matter at all. He had already proven at 28 that he’s a fantastic coach. He has 8 years of experience. Others have that at 45 or 50 — at the highest level. That’s no criterion at all.”

Photo by Marton Monus/picture alliance via Getty Images

Despite ruling himself out for the time being, Klopp has never fully closed off the door to becoming Germany manager at some point in the future. His current contract on Merseyside runs through the summer of 2026 and it is highly unlikely that he would ever break that for the Germany job.

But if he does not sign another contract extension with Liverpool, and Germany’s job becomes vacant again after the EURO, who knows?