Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly set to be dismissed as Germany head coach, with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp emerging as the leading candidate to replace him, German tabloid Bild reported on Thursday.
Nagelsmann, 38, has come under mounting pressure following Germany’s shock last-32 World Cup exit after a penalty defeat to Paraguay.
Citing images of Nagelsmann at the German Football Association (DFB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Bild reported that the coach was offered a severance package of €7 million ($8 million) during a three-hour meeting aimed at facilitating his departure.
Nagelsmann, who signed a contract extension in January 2025, is under agreement until 2028. While his exact salary has not been officially disclosed, German media estimates it at around €7 million per year.
Germany’s defeat marked their third consecutive early World Cup exit, following group-stage eliminations in Russia and Qatar.
It also extended their struggles at major tournaments, with the four-time world champions failing to progress beyond the knockout stage since their 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil.
In the aftermath of the exit, DFB president Bernd Neuendorf announced an immediate review into the team’s World Cup performance.
According to AFP sports subsidiary SID, a final decision on Nagelsmann’s future is expected “by the beginning of next week at the latest.”
Several German media outlets, including Sky and Süddeutsche Zeitung, report that Klopp is the overwhelming favourite to take over if Nagelsmann departs.
Klopp stepped away from management after leaving Liverpool in 2024 and has since taken up a role as head of global football at Red Bull, overseeing its multi-club network spanning Austria, Germany, Brazil, the United States, and Japan.
AFP
