One of Germany’s leading football reporters has given an insight on the view from his homeland regarding Jurgen Klopp’s next move.
The 56-year-old will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of this season after the bulk of nine years in charge, insisting that he needs some time away from football, having worked with little or interruption since 2001.
In his exclusive Fact Files column for CaughtOffside, Christian Falk outlined that many football fans in Germany would love to have the current Reds boss in charge of their national team after Julian Nagelsmann, who’s being touted to replace the under-pressure Edin Terzic at Borussia Dortmund.
The journalist stated: “Edin Terzic also has to fear for his job. Julian Nagelsmann is considered the candidate to succeed him. He is currently the German national coach. And this is where Jürgen Klopp comes into play.
“The farewell to Klopp naturally makes Reds fans sad, but in Germany it increases hope for Klopp to take over the national team. There is still no decision as to whether Julian Nagelsmann and the DFB will continue their cooperation beyond the European Championship.
“Klopp would be the wish of almost all Germans. But since he wants to take a year off, there is now a new consideration in the association. Sandro Wagner, Nagelsmann’s current assistant, could bridge the year as an interim solution until Klopp takes over. There would still be a year until the 2026 World Cup.”
Although the announcement of Klopp’s impending departure in January shocked Liverpool fans – and the world of football – to the core, it’s understandable that he feels a need to recharge after the intensity of managing one of the biggest clubs in the world for almost a decade.
Just as Pep Guardiola took a one-year sabbatical between his jobs at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the 56-year-old might enjoy a few months out of football before feeling a desire to get back into the thick of things.
A national team position wouldn’t require the same level of relentless, year-round commitment as club management, although Germany would still be one of the most pressurised posts in the international game, especially after several disappointing major tournament for the Nationalmannschaft.
Nagelsmann’s future in his current role is likely to depend heavily on how he fares at Euro 2024, which his nation will be hosting, and whether or not the German job becomes vacant after the finals.
If it does, it’s far from unthinkable that Klopp could jump at the chance to manage his country, even if – as Falk has hinted – somebody else takes the reins temporarily before the 56-year-old comes in.