According to German tabloid Bild, Nagelsmann attended a three-hour meeting at DFB headquarters in Frankfurt on Thursday. Bild reported that he was offered a seven-million-euro severance package, about $8m, roughly equivalent to one year’s salary, to leave the position.
That detail has not been confirmed by the DFB, so for now it remains reported rather than official. Football politics remains football politics, even when presented in formal stationery.
What did Nagelsmann say after Germany’s World Cup exit?
Nagelsmann said leaving was painful, but cast it as a reset for the national team.
“The decision was anything but easy for me,” he said in a statement.
“My top priority has always been the success of the team. After such a bitter disappointment, it deserves the chance of a new beginning.”
He also apologised directly to supporters after Germany’s tournament ended earlier than expected.
“I am sorry and hurt from the bottom of my heart that we disappointed you and couldn’t give you any more football nights at this World Cup,” Nagelsmann said.
Nagelsmann is only the second national coach in German history to be forced out. His predecessor, Hansi Flick, was dismissed in 2023, a fact that does not exactly suggest a period of serene stability.
How bad is Germany’s recent World Cup record?
The defeat by Paraguay deepened a miserable World Cup pattern for a four-time champion.
The recent record is stark:
- Group-stage exit at the 2018 World Cup in Russia
- Group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
- Knockout defeat to Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup in Boston
Germany have not won a World Cup knockout match since the 2014 final, when they beat Argentina 1-0 in Brazil. They also have not kept a clean sheet at the tournament since that same match.
For a country used to treating deep runs as almost administrative, the numbers are not flattering. They are also hard to explain away as one bad night.
Could Jürgen Klopp take over as Germany coach?
Nagelsmann’s departure immediately turns attention to Jürgen Klopp, the former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager.
The DFB said it would begin discussions with Klopp, who is described as the federation’s preferred candidate. Klopp has said he is “fundamentally willing” to take over as Germany coach.
The 59-year-old left Liverpool in 2024 after a highly successful spell that included Champions League and Premier League titles. He is currently Red Bull’s global head of football, though reports say his contract includes a release clause allowing him to accept the Germany job.
Klopp has remained a major public figure in Germany and worked as a television pundit during World Cup coverage. Whether that turns into the national team job is now the obvious question, which is convenient for everyone except, perhaps, the people who must negotiate it.
