The German football association will seek talks with Jurgen Klopp after Julian Nagelsmann asked to be relieved of his duties on Thursday, following Germany's early World Cup exit. Livramento sits in the middle of a swift coaching reset that now turns on whether Klopp is willing to step in.
Nagelsmann, the 38-year-old coach who replaced Hansi Flick in September 2023, said on Friday: "I've done a lot of thinking in the days since our elimination and have consulted with trusted individuals both personally and within the federation." He added: "The decision was anything but easy for me. My top priority has always been the team's success. After such a bitter disappointment, they deserve the chance for a fresh start."
DFB seeks Klopp talks
The German football association said it will now seek talks with Klopp about becoming the men's national team coach. In the same statement, it said: "He has already signalled his general willingness to take on the position." That puts the process into its next phase: not a decision yet, but a direct conversation about whether he would take the job.
The timing matters because Nagelsmann had signed on for a longer runway. His contract was initially until after Euro 2024, then extended to this year's World Cup and then to Euro 2028. The move now leaves Germany with a fresh vacancy before the next cycle settles, and it does so after a run of results that has kept the team from turning tournament promise into knockout success.
Germany's knockout problem
Germany were beaten by Paraguay on penalties in the last 32, and they have not won a World Cup knockout game since they were crowned champions in 2014. They also failed to get beyond the group stage in 2018 and 2022. That sequence gives the change at the top a sharper edge than a routine coaching reshuffle.
Nagelsmann's own words showed the shift in direction. After the game, he said: "I'm not someone who runs away." By Friday, he had asked to be relieved of his duties, a reversal that made the departure feel less like an abrupt dismissal than a decision to clear space for a different reset.
Rudi Voller backs change
Rudi Voller said: "After the disappointing World Cup exit for everyone, Julian's decision deserves our respect, because he's taking responsibility where he'd like to continue shaping things, and putting the national team as a whole above himself." He also said: "Of course, we all would have liked a different outcome to the tournament and a more convincing performance from our team. But Julian is and remains an excellent coach, and I'm convinced he'll continue on his successful path."
The next step now rests with Klopp's answer. The DFB has opened the door, and Germany's men's team has moved immediately from exit to reconstruction, with the coaching decision carrying through to the next phase of its tournament planning.
