J眉rgen Klopp has confirmed he’s in negotiations to take over as and says he’s 鈥渞echarged鈥� the energy he was missing when he left Liverpool.
Klopp is the German soccer federation’s preferred candidate after Julian Nagelsmann resigned Friday, four days after Germany to Paraguay in the round of 32.
鈥淛ulian has stepped down and the (federation) is working on the succession and has approached me in the course of those considerations,鈥� said Klopp, speaking from New York on German broadcaster Magenta TV in his role as a World Cup commentator late Friday.
Klopp was the only coach named in a federation statement on the team’s future, which said Klopp had 鈥渟ignaled his willingness鈥� to take over.
Klopp said talks would take time because of his current contract as head of global soccer for of clubs.
Klopp hasn’t coached since he left Liverpool in 2024, at the time he was 鈥渞unning out of energy鈥� after eight years with the club where he won the Premier League and Champions League.
鈥淎bout two years ago I stopped at Liverpool and said that I lacked the energy for another job or for another year with Liverpool. Since then I’m more than recharged, I’m ready,鈥� he said.
Germany’s next coach will need to make sweeping changes and he said he would need 鈥渋ntensive talks鈥� with the federation to agree on the key points of how to transform the team’s fortunes.
It was the third men’s World Cup in a row that Germany has not reached the round of 16. Germany hasn’t won a knockout game since beating Argentina in the 2014 final.
Klopp said Nagelsmann was an 鈥渆xcellent coach鈥� and not to blame for the team’s deeper problems.
鈥淕erman soccer is obviously at a turning point now,鈥� Klopp said. 鈥淣ow we need to change things fundamentally. Whether that’s me in the end or whoever it may be, that doesn’t change the fact that changes are necessary.鈥�
Klopp has had a high-profile presence as a pundit on German TV at the World Cup, even taking part in postgame interviews with Nagelsmann at the side of the field. In the immediate aftermath of the Paraguay loss, he said he hadn’t thought about taking on the Germany job.
___
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
