Klopp begins his Germany era with strong messages: I don't fear leaving, and expect surprises

FBL-GER-HEAD COACH-PRESSER

Reverse pressing is the foundation of the project, and the talents will get their chances

Jürgen Klopp has begun his era as manager of the German national team with clear and ambitious messages, stressing that leading "Die Mannschaft" represents the pinnacle of his coaching career, and that he will not hesitate to make bold decisions in order to return the team to the winners' podium.

Speaking at his first press conference since replacing Julian Nagelsmann, who left after the team's failure at the 2026 World Cup, Klopp laid out his technical vision, his plans for the future and his relationship with the fans and players. Success won't come overnight, he warned, but he promised to build a team with a clear identity and a strong character.

Klopp began by saying: "It is a great honour to sit here today. What has been happening to me over the past few days is like a film playing in my mind, with thoughts crowding into my head. Where did all this begin? And where did I come from?"

"I already knew how enormous the task of coaching the national team was, but when you become responsible for it, you feel its greatness and its responsibility to a far greater extent," he added. "And considering my background, it was impossible for me to imagine reaching this stage."

He continued: "It is a very special day for me, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making it happen. But I am not a blank page. I have come with partners, and I am not doing this for myself."

A message to the fans and critics

Klopp fired a direct message at fans and media alike. He'll take the criticism, he says, but the moment it reaches his family, he's gone.

He said: "If there is someone who does not care about the future of German football, then there is nothing I can do. We have work that must be done. I have given a few interviews here and there, but I cannot say that I missed it. I was surprised by the volume of information and the speed at which it spreads. On the path we are taking, it is important that we get things done the right way, not as quickly as possible."

He added: "On the day you do not want me, say so and I will leave, without any compensation. If you say tomorrow that I am a failure, I will leave, but not based on the opinion of one person, only if that is the general opinion. And if the German Football Association says I have failed, I will leave. But if you cross the line and do not leave my family alone, I will also leave."

The message on criticism was clear. "Criticise me if something does not work, that makes me happy because I will work on improving it. It is all about the work. I have no coaching career after the national team, and ideally, this role represents the pinnacle of my career."

A new coaching staff and a vision for the future

Klopp has revealed the make-up of his coaching staff, confirming that he has chosen the best possible team.

He said of Sven Binder joining: "I have known him for a long time, and I think the situation is ideal. He is a young coach who has previously worked with the German Football Association, and he was a player for the national team. He is an expert in this field, whereas I am not. And for good reason, I was never allowed to enter this building wearing football boots."

The Liverpool boss also announced that his close adviser Marc Kosicke would be joining the German Football Association, explaining: "He will be my assistant for strategy, development and innovation affairs."

He added: "There is not much that can be said about the current situation, but this is the right moment to review everything and make the necessary adjustments. Improvement usually requires more work, but the most important thing is to focus on the future."

Assessing the national team after the World Cup

Klopp explained that he had already begun assessing the squad's players. He said: "I have watched 57 players. We had many good players at the World Cup, but they did not perform to the expected level. The situation is not bad at all, but it certainly needs improvement."

His goal, he stressed, was: "Not to overestimate myself, but I feel a responsibility towards the German fans to return the national team to the podium. We still have several weeks before the international break, and that is enough time to prepare. Everyone is ready."

On his connection to the history of German football, Klopp said: "I heard that Helmut Schön also lived in Wiesbaden, and I have been living there for a short while. I loved Franz Beckenbauer for everything he gave. Rudi is also here and I am entitled to mention him. The number 13 seems surprisingly low. For me, German football is illustrious and has a long history, and to become part of this history is something very special."

The relationship with Nagelsmann

Klopp denied there had been any contact with his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann. He said: "There was no contact between us. A belated happy birthday to him. I have every respect for him. The day of that comment was one of the worst days of my life, and I knew then that a time bomb was about to explode. I wish I could have avoided it. I apologised, my apology was accepted, and I don't think there are any hard feelings. I wish him all the best, and I think today represents a new chapter for him."

Building a strong relationship with the players would be his first step, Klopp confirmed. He said: "I'm glad the season won't start tomorrow with the first match, otherwise I would have felt exhausted. I will follow the matches in every country where we have players, including Germany of course. I have gained a deep understanding of things recently, and communicating with the players is extremely important. I will try to reach out to them early, as that will be my first task."

"I have always tended to do more rather than less," he added, "and I will try to do it the right way, for the benefit of the players."

A clear playing philosophy

Klopp has sketched out the tactical blueprint for his Germany reign. He said: "Counter-pressing will be a key element, alongside a settled line-up and a clear footballing philosophy. And with all these doubts, we will not rely on man-marking, even though the best team in Germany plays that way."

His plan leans on tradition and width. He added: "The teams that have won the World Cup played with four defenders, and we too will play in this style, and we will rely on the wings, because the playmakers of the current generation have come to occupy these positions."

Nobody, he insists, will be shut out. The German coach affirmed the door will be open to everyone, saying: "Some players will get chances they did not expect, because I like to be bold. I have always been that way and I will remain so. I want to work with players who produce football that everyone enjoys. Success may not come straight away, but I want people to go back to their homes saying: what a wonderful performance."

France, the benchmark of strength

Klopp stressed the need to be realistic. He said: "We have to set realistic expectations. The question is: are we currently at France's level? And if the answer is yes, then that's not true."

France boast an exceptional group of players, he added, but beating them is far from impossible.

The coach also turned to the importance of international football. He said: "It has been a long time since I followed international matches outside the major tournaments. I hope these matches return to being of interest again. We all know that successful football can change an entire country."

On his own timeline, Klopp was blunt. He added: "When I play my first official match just four days after the start of my work, you cannot expect miracles. But I want to see progress, and most importantly, for the players to show me that wearing the national team shirt is something very special."

I won't be able to please everyone

Klopp delivered one of his most notable messages during the conference, saying: "I won't be able to please everyone. I'll try to do everything in the best possible way for the good of our national team."

He added: "If we all imagine that we'll become world champions in four years, that would be a wonderful feeling. And if we believe in that together, the neighbour won't seem annoying the next day, the weather won't be so bad, and Merz won't ruin everything."

Turning to Joshua Kimmich, Klopp said: "I have ideas, but I haven't spoken to anyone yet, so I won't specify any positions now. The player who delivers the best performance, has the most enthusiasm, and improves the moment he pulls on the national team shirt, is the one who will play."

The Germany boss added: "Everyone who is eligible to represent the national team has to give their very best. I'll follow everyone, and no one is ruled out as of today. It's a fresh start."

The World Cup gave me the best opportunity to learn

Klopp confirmed that following the latest World Cup had been an extremely valuable experience. He said: "The strength of football lies in its ability to bring people together. The World Cup was the best coaching opportunity I could have had. The atmosphere in the stadiums was exceptional, and the enthusiasm people experienced was incredible."

He also praised Germany's promising generation of players. He said: "I looked at the names of the players, and my impressions were extremely positive. We have a huge amount of talent. We won the Under-17 World Cup and European Championship, and these players are supposed to have turned twenty now. After they get their driving licences, we can benefit from them."

Realism before dreams

Klopp closed by insisting that building a competitive national team takes time. He said: "The expectations in Germany are crazy. Imagine if Nagelsmann had said: we only want to reach the semi-finals, what would have happened? Of course we aspire to the highest goals, but we have to realise that we need time to achieve them."

"I want to be heavily involved in developing the organisational structure," he added. "Whoever signs Jürgen Klopp will get Jürgen Klopp with all his ideas. Everyone is happy today, but I am not sure that this feeling will last every day."

His parting words captured the scale of the task. "I want to improve everything, and to present the German national team in a positive light so that we return in the end to the top. I look forward to this challenge. There are still two months until the first match, and it will be in the Netherlands.. my goodness!"

On the international match schedule, he said: "When the UEFA Nations League began, I told myself that friendly matches were over. We have to balance development with achieving results. I have some ideas, and I will not overwork eleven players all the time, and we will find the right solution."