"We're on the home stretch." That's not spin — that's the DFB confirming, through German news agency SID, that Jürgen Klopp is about to become Germany's next head coach.
The sticking point has been Klopp's existing contract with Red Bull, where he's currently Head of Global Soccer until 2029. Talks between the German Football Association and Red Bull are now at agreement stage, which means the paperwork — and the announcement — shouldn't be far behind.
What the deal actually looks like
Klopp is expected to sign through to the 2030 World Cup, stepping into the role vacated by Julian Nagelsmann. That's a meaningful tenure. This isn't a caretaker appointment or a short-term fix — Germany are committing to a multi-year project with one of the most recognisable coaches in the world.
Nagelsmann took Germany to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals on home soil before bowing out to Spain. There's a decent base to work with. Klopp, who transformed Borussia Dortmund and then Liverpool from mid-table concerns into genuine title contenders, understands rebuilding cycles better than almost anyone.
Germany's odds to win the 2026 World Cup — and 2030, when they'd presumably be hitting their stride under Klopp — are worth tracking once this is official. Historically, Germany with a settled, high-profile manager tends to outperform their tournament expectations.
The Red Bull complication, now nearly resolved
The involvement of Red Bull in these negotiations was always the unusual wrinkle. Klopp isn't a free agent — he's an employee of a sports and media empire with its own football interests. Getting them to release or share him required more than a phone call. That it's now close to resolved says something about how much both the DFB and Klopp himself want this to happen.
"We're on the home stretch" is about as close to a done deal as a football federation gets before the pen hits paper.
