National football team: Nagelsmann anniversary: ​​Red carpet for Klopp

Exactly on Julian Nagelsmann’s first anniversary in office, Rudi Völler rolled out the red carpet for Jürgen Klopp at the DFB. The sports director is certain that fan favorite “Kloppo” can practically choose for himself, based on his life’s work, whether he will become the next national coach after the 2026 World Cup. The only condition: Nagelsmann will then be drawn back to a top club after almost three years.

“I don’t know what Jürgen would like to do again. But if Julian Nagelsmann were to decide at some point that he would rather coach a top club in Europe or Germany again – of course, there is no way around Jürgen Klopp if he wants to…”, said Völler in ZDF’s “Sportstudio”.

Völler is an expert for customized solutions

The timing of this personnel move in the evening TV discussion is surprising after the good performances of the DFB team. But Völler knows a thing or two about dream solutions. Exactly a year ago, he signed Nagelsmann as his top candidate to succeed national coach Hansi Flick.

Twelve months later, the plan has worked perfectly. After a period of getting used to each other and getting to know each other, Nagelsmann now really enjoys being national coach and is intensively planning his attack on the 2026 World Cup title in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

He had extended his contract before the European Championship at home, which ended with a bitter quarter-final defeat against Spain (1:2 after extra time), until the next major event. But no one knows what will happen after that. The start of the Nations League has also been successful with a 5:0 win against Hungary and a 2:2 draw in the Netherlands.

Undefined time-out from Klopp

Völler’s big subjunctive remains Klopp’s life plans. He left Liverpool FC in the summer after many successful years and is currently on an indefinite coaching break. The 57-year-old has not ruled out ending his career as a coach either. “I don’t miss anything,” was his most recent statement during his visit to Dortmund to mark the departure of former BVB players Jakub Blaszczykowski and Lukasz Piszczek. The successful, public-friendly coach still enjoys the role of a man without everyday stress.

But Nagelsmann himself had always stressed that he would be able to work as a club coach again in the future. “Julian now has a reputation in Germany and throughout Europe for coaching top clubs. He earned that at a young age. And he will decide for himself what is best for him,” said Völler.

He knows that finding a suitable successor could be one of his last tasks in office. Völler himself has announced that he will end his work as sports director after the World Cup in just under two years.

ZDF viewers celebrate Völler

Nagelsmann’s assistant Sandro Wagner, as Völler also stated, is to remain with the association until 2026, despite repeated attempts by clubs to recruit him. The former striker is currently being considered as a candidate at TSG Hoffenheim.

A search for a coach for the national team that took almost two years to complete makes it clear that there are no acute problems. Völler was able to be celebrated by the ZDF viewers with the fan hit “There is only one Rudi Völler” and to talk about things for the future.

Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz as a duo at FC Bayern? “That will be expensive,” said the former Bayer managing director, who once lured Wirtz to Leverkusen as a teenager and now predicted “a world-class career” for him. “Whoever buys him will have to pay a lot,” said Völler. Even if Klopp were to be hired as national coach the summer after next, it would certainly not be cheap for Völler and the DFB.