Julian Nagelsmann has put Germany's next move in the DFB's hands after the World Cup exit. He said he is available to stay until 2028 if the federation wants him, but also made clear they have to tell him whether they want him to stay or go. Germany lost on penalties to Paraguay after a 1-1 draw in the round of 32.

Nagelsmann's message after the exit

The quote from Nagelsmann was as direct as it gets. "I'm available. If the DFB want me to stay until 2028, I will. If they don't, then I'll go," he told goal.com. He also said: "In football, you don't have complete control. If the DFB wants me to, I'd be happy to prepare for the Euros and the Nations League. If they don't want me to, they need to say it."

That leaves the decision with the federation rather than turning the post-tournament fallout into a resignation story. Nagelsmann has overseen 37 matches as Germany manager, and that is a large enough body of work for the DFB to judge the direction properly. The team won 2 of the 3 group matches cited, beating Curaçao 7-1 and Ivory Coast 2-1 before the defeat to Ecuador.

Klopp stays in the frame

Jurgen Klopp is the name that keeps coming back. He is working as Red Bull's head of global football and has not coached since leaving Liverpool in May 2024. Asked about the noise around his name, he told Mirror: "I understand that my name is being mentioned. But this isn't the moment to talk about it – and certainly not with me."

B. Schweinsteiger has already gone on record backing him. "I believe that it will happen," he said on ARD, while also adding that Klopp can create "a sense of new optimism" for the European Championship. That view is not universal, but it is the reason Klopp's name sits above the other alternatives in the conversation.

The DFB are not acting like a federation planning to wait this out. Bernd Neuendorf said they will "jointly and calmly discuss the reasons" for the failure and that they cannot simply return to business as usual after such a "devastating blow". That review is now running alongside the question of whether Nagelsmann stays or the search starts again.

Germany do not need a theoretical discussion now, they need a decision. Nagelsmann has made his position plain, and the next move belongs to the DFB.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →