Jürgen Klopp is questioning his future as a coach
Humorous and self-ironic: At the trainer congress in Würzburg, Jürgen Klopp is the entertainer. He's reluctant to say much about England's football at the Euros for fear of the British press, but he has plenty to say about Germany's national coach, Julian Nagelsmann.
At the end of his pointed speech, Jürgen Klopp even took a dig at Bayern Munich. When the private citizen in shorts and an unbuttoned shirt ruled out a possible job as England's national coach, he jokingly called for his lawyer when asked about a potential role with the German record champions. "I've already coached the best clubs in the world. Just saying that doesn't make it likely that I'll get another offer from Bayern," the 57-year-old said to laughter from the around 1000 attendees at the International Trainer Congress in Würzburg. He laughed along heartily.
The grinning Klopp fit the image of a completely relaxed man who, after nearly nine years at the big FC Liverpool, doesn't need a new coaching job. For the time after his one-year break, he announced: "I'll do something. I'm too young to just play Padel tennis and be with my grandchildren. Whether it's coaching again? I'd actually rule that out at the moment."
Because life without a training pitch and scheduling commitments feels good and liberating to Klopp. "I do quite a lot of sports. I spend a lot of time with my family and grandchildren. The biggest difference is: now I'm 100 percent present. If I had a job, I'd be restless waiting for my phone to buzz - probably because the team doctor was calling," said Klopp.
Klopp as a Star among Trainers
The break has only just begun for Klopp. "I haven't even started making proper vacation plans yet," the coach revealed. During the lively Q&A session over 60 minutes, Klopp lined up jokes one after another. As the star trainer entered the festive hall, rows of trainers held up their phones for photos and videos to mark the end of the three-day congress. Klopp hasn't given an interview in three months, so that's likely to continue for now.
From the podium, where Klopp sat with a tanned complexion and crossed legs, the guest of honor doled out greetings and messages in all directions. His opening statement, "I don't create headlines on purpose," didn't have much of a shelf life in the cozy forum of trainers who listened almost reverently and often amused. Klopp described himself as the "record silver medal holder" in Champions League finals and categorically ruled out a job as England's national coach. When asked what his agent, Marc Kosicke, was currently forwarding to him, Klopp replied: "Nothing. No club, no country. Some people obviously haven't heard that." And the Three Lions? "That would be the biggest face-loss in football history if I said I'd make an exception for you."
In fact, Klopp even talked about the 2026 World Cup. But not about how he would drive a team from the sidelines in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Rather, he saw himself as a fan of the German team under coach Julian Nagelsmann. "I loved how Julian said that we'll be world champions in two years. I jumped out of my seat and said: We'll be world champions in two years, and I'll be watching!"
For England, who are looking for a successor to Gareth Southgate after finishing second in the Euros, Klopp had no such praise to spare. "No comment on England, as the press is sitting here," he said, humorously pointing to the "Daily Mail," which he assumed had also made the long journey to Franconia. Ironically, he then added about the largely lackluster performances of Harry Kane and co., "They did that very well." After a panel discussion with colleagues like Belgium's national coach Domenico Tedesco and his close friend David Wagner, the star guest, who was greeted with much applause, wanted to head to the airport. Klopp is on vacation.
Despite his current break, Jürgen Klopp expressed his excitement to support Germany's national coach, Julian Nagelsmann, in their potential journey to becoming world champions in 2026. Conversely, Klopp remained cautious when discussing England's football performance at the Euros, choosing not to comment further due to the presence of British media.
During the Q&A session, Klopp revealed his enjoyment of being a soccer fan instead of a coach, joking that he wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to watch Germany claim the World Cup title in 2026. Despite being asked about potential job offers, Klopp humorously dismissed any hopes of coaching England, citing his previous achievements and satisfaction in his current position.
