Jurgen Klopp rules himself out of contention to replace Joachim Low as Germany head coach
Jurgen Klopp says he is not interested in replacing Joachim Low as the new coach of the German national team and intends to honour his contract with Liverpool that runs until 2024.
The Liverpool manager was questioned about his future hours after it was announced that Low would be stepping down after this summer’s European Championships and a year before his current contract expires.
Klopp would be the ideal choice of the German Football Association (DFB) to take over but was emphatic about his intentions.
“Am I available for the job of the coach of the German national team in the summer? No,” he said. “After the summer, no.”
When asked again whether he might be available, Klopp said: “I just said what I would say to people when they mention names like mine. I just said no. This summer or after this summer I will not be available as a potential coach of the German team.”
Ahead of the second leg of Liverpool’s last-16 Champions League tie against RB Leipzig, which they lead 2-0, Klopp was further questioned about his plans for the future. “Well, I have three years left (on my contract) at Liverpool this summer, don’t I? That’s a simple statement. It’s a simple situation. You sign a contract and you try and stuck to that contract, don’t you?
“I had contracts in Mainz where I stuck with them even though there was interest from other Bundesliga teams with more money. It’s just timing and money. If it doesn’t work out then there’s no need to lose any sleep over it. I don’t have a problem with it.”
That might be interpreted as Klopp leaving the door open but the tone of his answers was unequivocal as was his praise for Low who succeeded Jurgen Klinsmann following the 2006 World Cup and won the tournament eight years later in Brazil.
“Jogi Low did an incredible job for so many years,” Klopp said. “I think he’s the longest servant ever we had in Germany and for sure one of the most successful. He did an incredible job and I understand that he wants to have this highlight for him of a European Championships. And then someone else will do the job and I am pretty sure with the amount of really good German managers at the moment that the German FA will find a good solution.”
Klopp has long been linked with the now-vacant role, but said at the end of last year that he would not consider taking over at Germany until "the future".
Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann definitively ruled himself out of the running to be Low's successor. Asked whether he would consider himself as a candidate, Nagelsmann's response was an immediate: “No.”
DFB president Fritz Keller paid tribute to Low, saying the timing of his decision allowed the organisation to take their time in naming the next person in charge. "The fact that he informed us about his decision at an early stage is very decent. He gives us the DFB the necessary time, calmly and a sense of proportion to name his successor,” Keller said.
