First, as in 2000, Rudi Völler stepped in when the DFB was in dire need, but this time it will be over for him after one game. Who will take over after the showdown against vice world champion France this Tuesday (9 p.m./live ARD) is completely open. The desired solution of many fans and observers is extremely unlikely.
Jürgen Klopp It would be possible to create the much-needed euphoria for the home European Championship with his positive nature, writes the German Press Agency. But he is tied to Liverpool for even longer. “Jürgen has a contract with Liverpool FC until 2026 – and he intends to fulfill it,” said his agent Marc Kosicke last December. It can almost be ruled out that the 56-year-old will give up the national coaching position at the “Reds” almost overnight, especially since he rejected the opportunity after the 2022 World Cup debacle. And the double job of being responsible for the club and the national team at the same time would probably not be a satisfactory solution for either side.
Another candidate is Julian Nagelsmann, whose image suffered after his less than illustrious departure from FC Bayern Munich. A next unsuccessful engagement with the completely insecure DFB team would set the 36-year-old’s career back again. His age is likely to be discussed at least internally. His contract with Bayern runs until 2026, but the Munich team could be interested in terminating it. The record champions once let Flick move to the DFB.
Someone who knows the association well is Stefan Kuntz. After the recent 1-1 draw against Armenia, the former successful coach of the German U21 has to worry about his job as Turkey’s national coach. That could be helpful for the DFB. He is valued internally for his communication style. The 1996 European champions would hardly see themselves as just a temporary solution until the home European Championships.
Matthias Sammer currently works as a consultant for his long-time employer Borussia Dortmund. The former world-class libero last worked as a coach almost two decades ago. He recently ruled out the national coaching job until the home European Championships in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. “I made the decision some time ago that I no longer wanted to be active in operations. It should stay that way,” Sammer was quoted as saying.
Is the time ripe for the first foreigner to take the post? Also the name Oliver Glasner falls into the speculation about a possible Flick successor because the Upper Austrian is without a club and knows German football very well from his time at Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg. By winning the Europa League a year ago, Glasner also proved that he can win big titles. Also currently without a club is an ex-successful coach Law Löwwho led Germany to the World Cup title in Brazil in 2014.
Ex-Salzburg-Trainer Roger Schmidt most recently became Portuguese champions with Benfica Lisbon, but still has a contract in Portugal until 2026. The Dutchman Louis van Gaal flirted with the sentence in the “Bild” newspaper: “I don’t normally train for a club anymore, but a promising country still has a chance to convince me!” The 72-year-old has a number of successes to his name (including with FC Bayern), and he coached the Netherlands. But does it represent the future? Like Glasner, his compatriot would be Ralph Hasenhüttl (56) the first foreigner.
But what happens if everything suddenly works better against France? Völler (63) sits on the bench together with fellow sports director Hannes Wolf (42) and former national player Sandro Wagner (35). It cannot be ruled out that the decision-makers in the DFB could advocate for a permanent solution if the matter is successful. 23 years ago, Völler only wanted to be a temporary solution – and then stayed for four years.
