Jurgen Klopp has finally addressed the rumors linking him to work in the German national team.
The Liverpool manager has repeatedly put his name aside as current starter Hansi Flick continues to struggle with just four wins from his last 16 games.
Pressure is mounting on former Bayern Munich head coach Flick, who are three times winners, as Germany host Euro 2024 next summer and appear to be completely tone-deaf.
Klopp is so beloved by fans in Germany that there is even talk of the Reds boss taking charge of the national team just for the tournament, while remaining manager of Liverpool.
Announcement
Klopp has now rejected the idea of taking over part-time as he speaks in his hometown of Stuttgart, admitting he has not been approached. “The issue holding up the whole thing is my loyalty,” he said.
“I can’t just leave Liverpool now and say I’m going to take over Germany for a while. It’s not working. And the demand isn’t even there.
Klopp’s current contract with Liverpool runs until 2026, but going forward he clearly sees himself as Germany manager.
Announcement
“The job of coaching the national team is and would be a great honour, there’s no doubt about that,” he told a jury in Baden-Wurttemberg. “If I have to do it at a given time, then I have to be available. And it’s not me right now.”
Despite his comments, ties to the role are unlikely to disappear any time soon, as 2014 World Cup winner and former Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski says Klopp is the only man who can deliver the necessary magic Germany need next summer.
Speaking to BILD, Podolski said, “he’s the only one I see who can make something new out of it.”
Announcement
And fans agree, as the popular website conducted a poll on who should lead Germany next summer, and Klopp polled 49% of the vote, with Julian Nagelsmann second with just 16%.
