Top coach in focus: Better not a club: The paths of Klopp, Nagelsmann and Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel didn’t want to give the impression that his professional life could be much more relaxed in the future. The soon-to-be coach of the Three Lions said when he was introduced that he would be England’s national coach every single day: “So not just when the courses are on.”

Tuchel’s message: After many years as a club coach, his new job from January 1, 2025 is a “leap into the unknown”, but he still wants to work just as hard as he did at his former clubs. But if the workload is obviously not that much lower – but the salary is – what makes the job of national coach so exciting for a 51-year-old like Tuchel?

Or to put it another way: What makes the club coaching position so unattractive at the moment? It can’t be a coincidence that not only Tuchel, but also Julian Nagelsmann and Jürgen Klopp are not working for clubs at the moment. The currently three most sought-after German coaches, all without a job in everyday league life. Why is that?

Klopp had no more energy

“I know I can’t do the job again and again and again and again,” said Klopp when announcing his departure from Liverpool last winter. “How best to put it, I’m running out of energy.” Klopp worked for the Reds for nine years; he left one of the most attractive clubs in the world voluntarily and on his own initiative. Because he needed a break.

It’s not as if Klopp, Nagelsmann or Tuchel couldn’t have worked in club football again a long time ago. The three always receive attractive inquiries; their value is too high in a competitive market. Nevertheless, Nagelsmann even decided to extend his national coaching contract until the 2026 World Cup.

“The biggest difference to working as a club coach is of course that you can work with the players every day in the club. With the national team there are always just a few joint training sessions in which we can go through our ideas,” says Domenico Tedesco to the German press. Agency. Tedesco could also have continued to work in club football, but has been Belgium’s national coach since the beginning of 2023.

Similar to Tedesco, Nagelsmann also made statements at the beginning of his time as national coach. Quite a few had suspected at the time that he could quickly return to a club after an interlude with the DFB. Instead, like Tedesco, he is now under contract as national coach until at least the World Cup. Nagelsmann is 37, Tedesco is 39 – for some, their coaching careers didn’t even begin at this age.

In the past, you took on the position of national coach at the end of a great career (Ottmar Hitzfeld), or in principle you were never anything other than national coach (Berti Vogts). Only those who are among the best in their field could and can take a break from their coaching job. Just like Klopp, who will not become national coach after his break, but as Red Bull’s football boss will no longer work for a single club.

“It will be completely different now,” said Tuchel, with a view to his future role as selection coach. He will be in the stadiums more often to watch his players. However, he will be on the training pitch significantly less than usual. Pros and cons, just like everything in life.

But perhaps over time he will get to know the advantages of his new job even better. Just like Julian Nagelsmann, who probably wouldn’t have thought a few years ago that he would enjoy being the national coach so much at a young age.