Ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp sparked controversy after joking about replacing Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann on live TV during the World Cup, with the German manager issuing a direct response
14:46, 20 Jun 2026
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 14: Jürgen Klopp commentates with Julian Nagelsmann, Head Coach of Germany and Thomas Müller after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Germany and Curacao at Houston Stadium on June 14, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp apologized after his comments on Julian Nagelsmann during the World Cup(Image: Getty Images)
Julian Nagelsmann has revealed that he "did not expect an apology" from Jurgen Klopp, following the legendary former Liverpool manager's joke about taking over from the German boss.
Klopp has been mooted as a potential replacement for Nagelsmann, and appeared to allude to this during Magenta Sport's live broadcast of Germany's World Cup opener against Curacao — a match it won 7-1. "Luckily, it's Julian Nagelsmann who's picking the team," Klopp remarked while discussing the starting line-up, before adding: "Still."
Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller, who was co-presenting alongside Klopp, struggled to suppress his laughter at the tongue-in-cheek quip, responding: "Kloppo, we are still in June. You are already in September."
The reaction from Stefan Effenberg — who won the Champions League with Bayern and reached the final of Euro 92' with Germany — was far less amused. Speaking on Sport1 in the aftermath, he said: "That's not right; he's speaking to millions of viewers.
"And on top of that, he ended up bursting out laughing. A comment like that, you can make it over a beer in the pub, but certainly not in front of millions of viewers. It's unacceptable."
While Muller maintained that his exchanges with Klopp are frequently "lively," and that there's "always a bit of banter" in their conversations, the 59-year-old head of global soccer for Red Bull adopted a more conciliatory tone, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Speaking to the German head coach after the victory against Curacao, he said: "We're also informally part of the team, we're absolutely on your side. I've already discovered the most hated word of the year: still.
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"I could have punched myself in the face for that, but it was already too late and I was on TV. It just slipped out casually, and has absolutely no relevance. What I've realised is, I'll be 59 on Tuesday and I'm still an idiot."
He also added: "We are completely on your side, whatever you do with this. Nothing will come of it that is intended to disrupt the process here."
Nagelsmann seemed to dismiss Klopp's original remarks when asked about them ahead of Germany's fixture with the Ivory Coast, scheduled for Saturday evening.
He explained: "I did not expect an apology from Jurgen Klopp for his comments and I also don't listen to everybody talking about our team. That's not possible."
Julian Nagelsmann speaks during a press conference
Julian Nagelsmann spoke about Jurgen Klopp's apology(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
This follows Klopp being left out of Ole Werner's farewell message, after the 38-year-old was fired by Leipzig earlier this month. Discussing Werner's departure, Klopp said: "We are acting in an advisory capacity as the Global Team.
"But we were involved in the decision-making process and analyzed the season. Ole (Werner) did a fantastic job. We qualified for the Champions League. But we also have to look forward at the same time. And when we thought about what that might look like, they decided on a change."
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Marcel Schafer, Leipzig's sports managing director, offered a similar explanation, stating: "We have analyzed the past season intensively. And, on Tuesday evening, we decided to change the head coach. We have come to the conclusion that a different approach is necessary for the tasks ahead."
While Werner expressed his gratitude to Schafer in an open letter to the club and its supporters via LinkedIn, he made no reference to Klopp or supervisory board chairman Oliver Mintzlaff.