Page 29 - Soccer360 Issue 104

KLOPP FOR GERMANY?
GERMANY’S FOOTBALL HIERARCHY WOULD LOVE LIVERPOOL BOSS JURGEN KLOPP TO COACH THE NATIONAL TEAM ONE DAY, BUT WILL THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN? FEARGAL BRENNAN EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITY.
Within minutes of Hansi Flick’s dismissal as national team coach in September, the German football rumour mill had whirred into action with whipped reports of a sensational move to pry Jurgen Klopp away from Liverpool. Klopp has dropped more than a few subtle hints over his openness to leading the national team in future, if the situation was right, and currently, that does not look to be the case.
Despite appearing to be the perfect candidate, international jobs are often sought out by bosses of a certain profile, and at a specific career point. While no longer being anchored with the ‘veteran coach’ tag, international football remains less of a pull for coaches at the very top of the game, and Klopp’s energetic and engaged style does not offer a clean match.
Practical aspects are also crucial, with Klopp contracted to Liverpool until 2026, and the change from being the key chess piece at a European powerhouse to a statesmanlike leader of a national team, would require some soul searching from the former Borussia Dortmund manager. Theories over the shortness of Julian Nagelsmann’s contract being based on a DFB confidence of bringing in Klopp appear to be wide of the mark as it speaks more to their desire to get through Euro 2024 and then assess the coaching situation.
Klopp’s success at Anfield has granted him a likely final say on when
his reign ends on Merseyside, but their strong first half to the season has relit the fire in him, on the back of seeing his title winning team dismantled over the last 12 months. He is in the process of rebuilding his Liverpool side with a new-look midfield and a renewed push for
the Premier League title, and he seems as energised as ever by that challenge. He also knows Germany will wait for him in future, due to the nature and slowness of international football, and he looks determined to take at least one more Premier League swing at Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City team.
Antonio Rudiger (pictured), Ilkay Gundogan and Thomas Muller remain vital to Germany’s Euro 2024 hopes.
an opportunity to boost his profile. A win and a draw, against the United States and Mexico in his opening two friendlies gave a slim indication of his plans, and time is not realistically on his side due to the shutting down of international football over the winter months. One window in early spring, plus some likely warm-up games in June, is all the contact time he will have, to shape
a team into some form of identity ahead of the big kick-off in Munich on June 14.
The lack of flexibility and scope to mould
a team is not something that will sit well with Nagelsmann’s more detail obsessed approach, but he accepted the job, knowing the restrictions that would be in place. His main task will be to quickly grasp and utilise the trust of experienced players, to get his message across quickly, and bridge the age gap in his ranks.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen is out in front of Neuer as No.1 but the latter’s return to fitness could cause an issue further down the line for Nagelsmann and that will be a test of his ability to handle such a scenario. Meanwhile, key trio Antonio Rudiger, Ilkay Gundogan and Thomas Muller remain
vital to Germany’s Euro 2024 hopes, but all three are at least a decade older than
SOCCER360 27
Many supporters of German football would love Jurgen Klopp to coach the national team in future.