Successful coach Jürgen Klopp would welcome Julian Nagelsmann’s involvement as national football coach. “I think Julian is a really great solution because he is a great trainer. I would be very happy about it – if it happens like that,” said the Liverpool coach to the TV channels RTL/ntv.
At the same time, Klopp explained why he is currently not available for the position. “We are currently building Liverpool 2.0 here. We want to really attack again and not just see how long will it last? I have a duty of loyalty to Liverpool. My heart is here in Liverpool. You can’t just cut out the eight years,” emphasized Klopp and added: “I signed a contract here (until mid-2026/ed.) and, as far as I can remember, I wasn’t drugged or tied up and had to sign with his mouth. That was a free decision. And that’s why it doesn’t fit.”
There are also other very good solutions, one of which is Julian Nagelsmann, for example. “You have to convince a football team, you have to be able to convey an idea to players. This works in your early 30s, mid 30s and late 30s. It can also work in your mid 70s. And if you can’t do it, it doesn’t matter. But he can do it!” said Klopp.
“I think he is a great coach”
Nagelsmann is supposed to succeed Hansi Flick, who was released as national coach a few days ago after a 4-1 defeat against Japan. Nagelsmann once followed Flick at FC Bayern. In March, however, his time in Munich was up. The German Football Association announced that DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Rudi Völler had their first meeting with Nagelsmann on Tuesday. Neuendorf explained: “We are in good discussions.” However, a contract has not yet been signed and details are still being negotiated.
National striker Niclas Füllkrug is looking forward to Nagelsmann’s possible involvement as national coach. “I don’t know him personally. I believe he is a great coach who will definitely take the team forward,” said Füllkrug after his Champions League debut in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain on Prime Video on Tuesday. At the same time, Füllkrug didn’t want to forget Hansi Flick either. “Thank you again. Things went a bit stupid. The team would have wanted to pay him back more than they did in the end,” said the goalscorer, who became a national player under Flick.
Marco Rose is also convinced of the success of the designated new national coach Nagelsmann. “He is very young, but we don’t need to talk about his qualities. He has proven this long ago. Like every national coach, he gets all my support,” said the RB Leipzig coach. Like Rose, Nagelsmann also left his mark in Leipzig. The 36-year-old was at RB from 2019 to 2021 and led the team to the semi-finals of the Champions League. He then moved to Bayern Munich for a record fee of over 20 million euros.
Sports director Alexander Rosen of Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim has no doubts about Nagelsmann’s suitability as national coach. “Julian is not a scaredy-cat,” said the long-time companion of the designated coach of the German national team to the “Frankfurter Rundschau,” “he is a daredevil in the most positive sense and an absolute believer.”
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The 44-year-old is certain: “He will tackle this with full enthusiasm. There are no doubts about his abilities as a football teacher. I or we will give him maximum support.” Rosen and Nagelsmann (36) worked together at TSG for several years before the coach moved to RB Leipzig in 2019. After two seasons there, Nagelsmann went to FC Bayern.
His former sponsor Dietmar Hopp would welcome Nagelsmann’s appointment. “I am convinced that, in addition to his professional quality, he will inspire the national team and the fans alike with his personal way of addressing him,” said the majority owner of TSG Hoffenheim on Sky. “Julian’s extraordinary talent was apparent early on. So it wasn’t too difficult for me and Alex Rosen back then to support him and have the courage to trust him with a Bundesliga team at the age of 28.”
