The German FA are still hoping to convince Jurgen Klopp to take the national team job, despite confirming Julian Nagelsmann in the role.
Friday saw Nagelsmann officially announced as the new Germany manager, six months after he was sacked from his most recent job with Bayern Munich.
The 36-year-old, who earned his move to Bayern through his success with Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, appears the ideal candidate for the role.
But the German FA (DFB) have only handed Nagelsmann a short-term contract, with his initial deal keeping him in the position until July 31, 2024.
This will take Germany through next summer’s Euros, which they will host, but after that it remains to be seen whether he will be retained.
In a DFB statement, sports director Rudi Voller described Nagelsmann as their “preferred candidate as national coach when the search began.”
But according to BBC Sport‘s Constantin Eckner, there remain hopes Klopp will take over as national team manager in the long term.
The Liverpool manager is described as the DFB’s “top candidate,” with it already widely reported that they looked to bring him in following Hansi Flick’s sacking.
Klopp, via his agent Marc Kosicke, rejected any links with the Germany job, reiterating his commitment to the club he has spent the last eight years with.
His contract at Anfield ties him to Liverpool until 2026, meaning there is little chance of him taking over from Nagelsmann in the event of an approach next summer.
In fact, speaking to RTL earlier this month, Klopp backed the decision to appoint Nagelsmann and stressed that his “heart is here in Liverpool.”
“We are currently building Liverpool 2.0 here. We want to really attack again and not just see how long will it last,” he insisted.
“I have a duty of loyalty to Liverpool. My heart is here in Liverpool. You can’t just cut out the eight years.
“I signed a contract here and, as far as I can remember, I was not drugged or tied up and had to sign with my mouth.
“That was a free decision. And that’s why it doesn’t fit [to take over with Germany].”
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