The German Football Association (DFB) announced on Friday (July 3rd) that it had accepted Julian Nagelsmann's resignation and terminated his contract immediately, in a shocking move that came four days after the German national team's historic elimination to Paraguay on penalties in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
The decision followed a stormy three-hour meeting at the federation's headquarters in Frankfurt, where the two sides reached a financial settlement worth 7 million euros (equivalent to almost one year's salary), to end the contract, which was extended until 2028.
Nagelsmann said in his farewell statement: "The decision was not easy, but after such a bitter disappointment, the team deserves a fresh start without any burdens. I apologize to the fans from the bottom of my heart because we let them down."
The exit marks Germany's third consecutive setback at the World Cup, after the group stage bye in the 2018 and 2022 editions, and the first time in history that the German team has lost on penalties in the World Cup.
Although Germany topped their group with big wins over Curaçao (7-1) and Ivory Coast (2-1), losing to Ecuador in the third round and then falling to Paraguay put a damper on the future of the young coach, who left his post amid one of the most severe football crises in the history of the machines.
Klopp is the first candidate to coach the Bundesliga
Nagelsmann, 38, has been coaching the Bundesliga since September 2023, but an early exit from the World Championship hastened the end of his experience, and Klopp, 59, topped the list of candidates to succeed him, based on a busy coaching career, which began with successes with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, before becoming a legend in Liverpool, where he led them to the Premier League title in 2020, ending a 30-year wait, after being crowned the Champions League in 2019.
German Sky reported that Klopp had reached a verbal agreement that would allow him to leave his duties with Red Bull if he received an official offer from the German federation.
Klopp announced in January 2024 that he would leave Liverpool at the end of the season after 9 years, and later, starting in January 2025, he would take over as the global director of football at Red Bull, overseeing its clubs around the world.
The next coach of the German national team faces a daunting challenge, in light of three consecutive setbacks in the World Cup finals: a first-round exit in 2018 and 2022, and then elimination from the round of 32 in the 2026 edition.
The first qualification for the new coach is expected to be the UEFA Nations League matches, where Germany will play away from home against the Netherlands and Greece, in addition to hosting Greece and Serbia in September and October.
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