Jurgen Klopp threatened to resign as Germany’s national team manager just minutes after announcing the new manager. The former Liverpool manager was officially confirmed as Julian Nagelsmann’s successor on Friday morning. He has signed a four-year contract until the next World Cup in 2030.
Minutes after the announcement, Klopp spoke to reporters at a press conference organized by the German Football Association (DFB). It didn’t take long for the 59-year-old to ruffle feathers, threatening to tender his immediate resignation. He said he would not hesitate to walk away if increased media attention affected his family.
Klopp said: “If you misbehave and don’t reassure your family, I’ll leave. I’ll just turn my back.”
“I know there are other countries where national team coaches are treated even worse. I love this job, but I’m willing to quit anytime if necessary.”
Klopp added that he has no intention of taking up any other job in football when his time with the Germany international ultimately ends.
He added: “For Jurgen Klopp, there is no ‘career’ after the national team. This is the pinnacle, the absolute pinnacle of my football career as a manager. I will give everything I have.”
Klopp will be tasked with picking up the pieces after Germany lost to Paraguay on penalties and were eliminated in the second round of the World Cup.
This was one of the biggest shocks of the tournament and resulted in Nagelsmann stepping down after three years at the helm.
Reflecting on the challenges at hand, manager Klopp described the current situation in Germany as “not good” and said he would “take a close look at the situation” with a view to making changes at all levels.
He added: “It’s far from perfect. We have a few weeks until the first international break. I think that’s enough time to prepare.”
When asked about his respected predecessor, Klopp replied: “I would like to focus on the German manager who has developed in the most successful way and has been the most successful.”
