Jürgen Klopp has played down talk of a Germany return while Julian Nagelsmann keeps pushing to stay in charge. Germany were knocked out by Paraguay on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the round of 32, and the DFB have already held a three-hour meeting with Nagelsmann at their Frankfurt headquarters. He still has two years left on his contract after the extension that followed Euro 2024.
Klopp's public stance
Klopp was clear enough about the noise around him. "I haven't thought about that yet," he said to Liverpool Echo. "But it's not the moment to really talk about it. There's nothing to say about it. I have a job that I enjoy very much. As far as I know, it's not a part-time job."
That is not a man opening the door. It is a direct attempt to shut down the link without turning it into a bigger story than it already is.
Nagelsmann's position after the exit
Nagelsmann's own language was far less calm. "If the DFB want me to continue, I am going to continue," he said. "I know how the industry works and a lot of people now want me to leave. I want to continue if the German FA wants me to."
The pressure is obvious after another tournament failure. Germany have now suffered three straight major-tournament eliminations, with the 2018 group stage, the 2022 group stage and the 2026 round of 32 all ending the same way. They also went out of Euro 2024 in the quarter-finals after extra-time against Spain and finished fourth in the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals.
The argument over Nagelsmann's future is still open, but the evidence around it is not flattering. A coach with two years left on his deal is not out by default, yet a national team coming off three straight exits does not look like a group that will wait quietly for the pressure to pass.
Germany will now have to decide whether to keep backing Nagelsmann or move on after Thursday's meeting in Frankfurt.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →