Jürgen Klopp is going to be the next Germany head coach. Fabrizio Romano called it on Sunday, and every signal since has pointed the same way. The question now isn't whether it happens — it's how messy the paperwork gets before it does.
The DFB have scheduled two meetings in New York, both driven by the logistical reality that Klopp is currently stateside as a MagentaTV pundit at the World Cup. First up: DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and Hans-Joachim Watzke sit down with Klopp to hash out terms. That one is expected to move quickly. Klopp has already made clear he wants the job.
Red Bull are the complication nobody saw coming
The second meeting is the one to watch. DFB chiefs need to negotiate with Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff to secure Klopp's release from his role as Head of Global Soccer — a conversation that hasn't even started yet. No talks. Zero. And Red Bull didn't exactly build their empire by being soft in a negotiation room.
Klopp apparently has a verbal agreement with Red Bull allowing him to leave. Verbal agreements and signed contracts are very different things, especially when the DFB are reportedly bracing to pay a release fee — the first time in the association's history it would do so to appoint a head coach.
One alternative on the table: Klopp stays attached to Red Bull as a brand ambassador even after taking the Germany role. That's an unusual arrangement for a national team manager, and whether the DFB are comfortable with that kind of dual affiliation will be a genuine sticking point.
For Germany's chances at the 2026 World Cup on home soil — their home soil, given the tournament spans North America — odds compilers will need to revisit their lines once Klopp is officially confirmed. He transformed Liverpool from Europa League also-rans into Premier League and Champions League winners. The German national team has been drifting since their 2018 group-stage exit. That's the project he's walking into.
The meetings are set. The desire is there on both sides. But Red Bull don't do anything for free.
