Jurgen Klopp is back in coaching, but he made one thing crystal clear at his very first press conference. Mess with his family and he’s gone. No notice. No severance. Just out the door.
The 59-year-old officially took over as Germany’s national team manager on Friday, signing a contract that runs through the 2030 World Cup. It’s his first job since leaving Liverpool two years ago, when he said he was burned out and needed a break. He spent the time since as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer and worked as a TV pundit during the World Cup. But when Germany crashed out in the round of 32 to Paraguay and Julian Nagelsmann resigned, the DFB came calling.
Klopp was clearly excited about the opportunity. But he also had a warning ready.
“The day you don’t want me anymore, I’m gone without any severance pay,” he said. “If you say tomorrow that he’s s***, I’m gone. Not just one person, it would have to be more than that. If the DFB says he’s s***, I’m gone.”
Then he got to the red line. “If you behave badly and don’t leave my family in peace, I’m gone. Criticise me if something doesn’t work. I’m happy to work on it. It’s all about the job.”
Klopp’s complicated relationship with the German press
This isn’t just empty tough talk from Klopp. He’s been burned before. During his punditry stint at the World Cup, he made headlines by suggesting Deniz Undav should start ahead of Jamal Musiala, then dropped a loaded line about Nagelsmann: “Julian Nagelsmann is still picking the team — for now.”
The “for now” part got him roasted by former German players. Klopp apologized later, saying he felt like punching himself in the face. So he knows how quickly the media can turn on you here. He’s making sure everyone understands where the boundary is before he even coaches his first game.
Interestingly, his contract with Red Bull reportedly included a specific exit clause just for this scenario. The Germany job was always on his mind. “The national team brings us Germans together like almost nothing else can,” he said Friday in Frankfurt. “That’s what makes this task so special for me.”
Klopp won everything at Liverpool and had a legendary run at Dortmund before that. He’s calling this his final act. “Jurgen Klopp doesn’t have a career after the national team. Ideally, this is the highlight of my career.”
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola turned down an offer to coach Italy after leaving Manchester City. That bit of news broke the same day. But all eyes are on Klopp now and how he handles the pressure of managing his home country.
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