Julian Nagelsmann is out as Germany’s head coach. That’s the word out of Germany this afternoon, and it’s not exactly a shock given what happened in the World Cup.
Germany didn’t just lose in the Round of 32. They lost to Paraguay. And it wasn’t even close — the final score was 3-1, but the game felt more lopsided than that. For a program that prides itself on World Cup pedigree, getting bounced by a team that wasn’t even supposed to get out of the group stage is about as bad as it gets.
Sport BILD is reporting that Nagelsmann’s firing will happen quickly, with the article using the phrase “decided swiftly.” The DFB has not made an official announcement yet, but the writing seems to be on the wall.
Völler distances himself
One name worth watching here is Rudi Völler. He’s the DFB director and was one of the last people in the organization still backing Nagelsmann publicly. According to the same report, Völler has now distanced himself from the coach. When your last ally in the front office starts walking away, you’re probably not long for the job.
The process of firing a national team coach in Germany isn’t as simple as it is at a club. There are different bodies that have to sign off, so it takes a while. But the report suggests the decision is basically made — it’s just a matter of going through the motions.
Nagelsmann’s contract reportedly includes a termination clause. If the DFB exercises it, they’d have to pay him 50 percent of what he’s owed. That’s not nothing, but it’s cheaper than keeping a coach who just lost the confidence of everyone.
Klopp is the target
So who’s next? The report says “everything points to Germany’s desired national coach, Jürgen Klopp.” Klopp has been linked to the Germany job basically since he left Liverpool, but he’s been taking a break from coaching. The question is whether this changes his timeline.
Two names that are apparently not in the mix: Pep Guardiola and Ralf Rangnick. Guardiola would be a dream hire for any federation, but he’s under contract at Manchester City and doesn’t seem interested. Rangnick’s style never really clicked with the German national team setup.
Germany needs to figure this out fast. The next major tournament isn’t that far off, and the program has real problems that go beyond one bad World Cup. They’ve got talent but no identity. They’ve got possession stats but no killer instinct. That’s not all Nagelsmann’s fault, but he’s the one paying for it.
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