Klopp begins Germany reign with warning
Jurgen Klopp has threatened to walk away from his role as Germany manager on the first day in the job. The former Liverpool boss was announced as Julian Nagelsmann's successor on a four-year deal on Friday - and immediately went on the offensive.
The 59-year-old has left his role as Red Bull's global head of soccer to try and turn around the team which was knocked out of the World Cup in the last 32 by Paraguay. Klopp will work alongside his former Liverpool assistants Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz.
He left Liverpool in 2024, having grown tired of the intense job and has enjoyed stepping away from the spotlight. And it seems that while the national team job is a dream one, Klopp is not looking forward to the increased scrutiny.
Klopp succeeding Nagelsmann has been an open secret for some time and that appears to have frustrated him - and prompted an ultimatum for the press.
Now is the time where I'm really in the middle of the media focus
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I was surprised, not negatively or positively surprised, at how fast news spread. And it's sometimes hard for people to just think 'let's turn a blind eye to things' and not to divulge any information. Sometimes that is the right thing to do, not to publish things that happened. “I know full well this is job number one for me. It is my mission to make the national squad better and to hope the pool for me to choose from is bigger. “But it is not something I will do against you, but I’m doing it for you. It is an honour. I will be remunerated very graciously and if tomorrow it's 'Jurgen Klopp is s***', then I will be gone. “But if the DFB (German FA) says ‘Come on let us not continue the job’ then that’s it. And if you (the media) behave badly and don’t let my family live in peace. I’ll be gone and I'll just turn away. “I know there are other countries where the national team head coaches are treated even worse. But I love this job, but I’m always ready to call just call it quits if need be. “Jurgen Klopp is not going to have any ‘career’ after the national team, this is the absolute pinnacle of my footballing career as a coach. I will give everything I’ve got.
Klopp won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and two League Cups during a hugely successful nine-year spell at Liverpool. He departed two years ago due to burn-out but is now recharged for the Germany job.
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