Klopp appears to rule out German job after their World Cup debacle
New York, June 30
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has appeared to rule himself out of replacing Julian Nagelsmann as Germany national team coach in the wake of their shock World Cup Round-of-32 exit after a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay on Monday night.
Nagelsmann has said he wants to carry on as coach, but there is no doubt that 59-year-old Klopp would be a popular choice to revive the fortunes of a team that went out in the group stage at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and has once again disappointed this summer.
Klopp is currently working as Red Bull's head of global soccer as well as a TV pundit for Magenta TV, where he was asked if he would consider the job, reports Xinhua.
"I haven't thought about that yet. I've often been in that situation myself as a coach, where a big dream has been shattered," answered Klopp. "I understand that when people talk about the national coach, my name is mentioned. But it's not the right moment to talk about it, especially not with me."
"I have a job that I really enjoy, and as far as I know, it's not a part-time job. The fact is, Germany was eliminated today, and this is not the moment for me to think about Jurgen Klopp's future," he continued.
Before the drama of Monday night in Boston, Germany could boast a proud World Cup record of never having lost a penalty shootout, making its exit to Paraguay especially significant.
The Germans had won all four World Cup penalty shootouts in which they had been involved, showing such clinical efficiency that, until Monday, the only German to miss a penalty in a World Cup shootout was Uli Stielike in the 1982 semifinal against France.
All of that changed on a hot, humid evening in Boston when Germany discovered the pain of a World Cup exit in the cruelest way possible.
Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, and Jonathan Tah all missed their penalties on Monday night as Germany crashed out of the competition to a Paraguay team it had dominated for much of the game.
Havertz deserves some credit for stepping up to take the first penalty of the shootout after he had earlier failed to score a penalty in the 7-1 group-stage win over Curaçao, but his miss allowed Mauricio to give Paraguay an early advantage.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Is Nagelsmann seriously staying on after this? Three World Cups of flops - 2018, 2022, now 2026. As a cricket-loving nation, we know when to move on from a captain or coach. The BCCI wouldn't tolerate this kind of underperformance. Kai Havertz taking penalties despite his record shows poor planning. Klopp would bring passion, but he seems smart to avoid this ticking time bomb. Germany needs a complete overhaul, not a quick fix.
Watching Germany lose a penalty shootout feels surreal - like seeing India lose a home Test series. 😅 But Paraguay deserved it, they defended brilliantly. I respect Klopp's integrity here - he's not jumping at the offer just because his name came up. That's the kind of long-term thinking we need in sports management back home. Sometimes the best move is to stay put and build something, like how our ISL clubs are developing talent. Germany will rise again, but not with a quick fix.
I'm from the UK but India's my second home now. This German exit shows modern football has no room for nostalgia. Klopp would be great but the DFB needs to ask why their youth development isn't producing penalty-shootout stars anymore. Even here in Bangalore, I see local academies focusing on technical skills over mental toughness. Germany's problem isn't just the coach - it's a system that's fallen behind. Havertz missing two penalties in one tournament is criminal.
As someone who follows both cricket and football, this German collapse reminds me of our struggles in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. You need patience, not panic. Klopp's right to take his time - rushing into the national team job after such an emotional exit would be foolish. But honestly, Nagelsmann staying feels like denial. The board should follow the BCCI model after 2007 - give a young coach time and resources
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