​Germany’s football bosses are preparing to hold talks with Oliver Mintzlaff, the chief executive of Red Bull’s sports arm, on Tuesday in a bid to secure Jürgen Klopp’s release so he can take over as national team coach, according to Kicker magazine on Sunday. The discussion is expected to focus on an early departure from Klopp’s contract as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, a role that runs through 2029. Mintzlaff is also scheduled to meet Klopp in New York later in the week, the report adds.
Klopp has already reached a basic accord with the German Football Association’s top brass, including president Bernd Neuendorf and vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke, at a meeting held in the United States where the former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager has been working as a MagentaTV pundit during the World Cup. He is poised to sign a deal through 2030, but an agreement with his current employer Red Bull remains unsettled.
One potential solution discussed in the media is for Klopp to continue his association with Red Bull as a brand ambassador, though some purists within the DFB (German Football Association) might not favor this split focus. According to Kicker, Klopp could even be permitted to continue advising Red Bull’s sports franchise business when he is not occupied with national-team duties.
Germany’s men’s team is in need of a new head coach after Julian Nagelsmann resigned following a shock exit in the last 32 to Paraguay. In parallel, former Germany players Stefan Effenberg and Pierre Littbarski are advocating for former World Cup winner Per Mertesacker to join a reshaped DFB leadership after a third consecutive early World Cup exit. DFB managing director Andreas Rettig will step down at year’s end, and Mertesacker has been backed for a role within the association or as an assistant to Klopp.
“I can well imagine Per Mertesacker being involved. He worked very successfully at Arsenal,” said Littbarski on Sport1 TV’s Doppelpass. At 41, Mertesacker recently left his post as head of Arsenal’s youth academy, a position he held for eight years after retiring as a player. He remains active as a World Cup pundit for ZDF and is currently free from club duties, aside from media commitments. His calm on-screen presence and deep knowledge of youth development are viewed as crucial assets that could help Germany break out of its current malaise. Mertesacker has indicated openness to talking with the DFB about a possible role.
Former Bayern Munich captain and long-time football executive Effenberg also expressed enthusiasm for the idea, saying, “I think Mertesacker is a great idea. It makes sense. You need more expertise in that unit. That is very important for building from the bottom up.” The call for rejuvenation at the DFB comes amid scrutiny of the federation’s leadership and a desire to implement a sustainable strategy that can stabilize Germany’s national team in the long term.
As the national team searches for a new direction, Klopp’s potential move could reshape the early plan for Germany’s coaching structure, especially if an amicable arrangement with Red Bull allows him to contribute both to the national squad and to the broader football ecosystem under Red Bull’s umbrella. The ongoing discussions reflect a broader push within German football to blend experienced leadership with fresh perspectives, while aligning the national team’s goals with the evolving landscape of European football.