Possible Next Germany Manager

After just 25 games in charge and following a five-match winless run, the German Football Association (DFB) has announced the sacking of Hansi Flick from his position as national team coach. The 58-year-old had an incredible record at Bayern Munich, but his results with Germany were underwhelming – just 12 wins in 25 matches and a group stage elimination at the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

Now, DFB is in the search of a new permanent coach for the national team while Rudi Voller leads Germany in the upcoming friendly match against France. Since Germany have already qualified for the UEFA 2024 Euro as hosts, there is no need to rush the decision – the new coach is expected to take over in the next international break in October.

List of Potential Next Germany Managers

As per reports, the leading candidate to become the next Germany coach is Julian Nagelsmann, although a plethora of other managers have been mentioned. While the likes of Miroslav Klose, Oliver Glasner and others are said to be in the running, we will focus on the more established names for now.

Julian Nagelsmann

Julian Nagelsmann is claimed to be the favourite to become the next Germany manager. The 36-year-old would be able to assume the role right away as he’s been out of work since his departure from Bayern Munich last spring. However, it’s said that Nagelsmann’s appointment would depend on his preferences, as he may decide to wait for a job opening at one of the top clubs instead. Germany could offer Julian a short-term contract that ends after the UEFA 2024 Euro but that seems unlikely – the DFB usually bets on long-term projects.

But those issues aside, Nagelsmann would no doubt be a great appointment for Germany due to his tactical aptitude, attack-minded approach and ability to develop players. Besides, he should already be familiar with the likes of Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and others after coaching them at Bayern.

Louis van Gaal

Also in search of a job is Louis van Gaal, whose last entry on the CV is the spell with the Netherlands between 2021 and 2022. It was his third stint with Oranje, and the results were quite impressive as he took them to the FIFA 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, only losing to eventual champions Argentina on penalties. In the 20 matches, Van Gaal led the Netherlands to 14 wins and 6 draws in regular time.

Given Van Gaal’s experience in international football and his tactical flexibility, the Dutchman has the potential to turn things around at Germany rather quickly and get them properly prepared for the upcoming Euros. He is also knowledgeable of German football as he coached Bayern Munich between 2009 and 2011. However, we should keep in mind that Germany has never had a foreigner in charge of the national team, so it remains to be seen whether they’ll break that rule for Louis van Gaal.

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has reportedly been dreaming of a job in international football ever since his departure from Real Madrid in 2021. He wanted to coach France, of course, but Les Bleus decided to keep Didier Deschamps in charge after reaching the World Cup final for a second time in a row in 2022.

It is impossible to put Zidane’s coaching abilities to doubt, his three consecutive Champions League trophies with Real Madrid speak for themselves. Zidane may not know German football that well, though, as he’s never coached outside of Spain. Besides, the 51-year-old could be more inclined towards a return to club football now that it’s clear he won’t be coaching France in the near future. And finally, Zidane’s arrival would mean breaking the non-foreigner rule at the national team.

Ralf Rangnick

Ralf Ragnick, on the other hand, is as German as it gets! He spent his playing days in the lower divisions and then coached the likes of Stuttgart, Schalke 04, RB Leipzig and others in the Bundesliga. His gegenpressing approach is known to have influenced the new German school of coaches (Julian Nagelsmann, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel etc), although he’s been less successful in terms of trophies.

Rangnick is not available for instant hire, though, as he’s been coaching Austria since 2022. His team is doing great in the group F of UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying, sitting second after three wins and one draw, tied on points with Belgium. 

Rangnick's contract with Austria will be automatically extended until 2026 if he qualifies for UEFA Euro 2024 with Austria, which looks rather likely. Nevertheless, we can imagine him quitting his current job if Germany comes calling.

Jurgen Klopp

It’s been reported multiple times in the past that Jurgen Klopp was Germany’s dream coach but, even after Joachim Löw’s departure in 2021, those dreams never became true. Klopp even dismissed those rumours in the past, saying he was committed to Liverpool.

Now, the links have reemerged despite the 56-year-old having three more years left on his deal with the Reds. So, if Germany are to appoint him, they need to first convince Klopp to leave Anfield, a place Klopp has called home for the past eight years. 

There’s also the option of Klopp coaching Liverpool and Germany at the same time, something which the DFB reportedly considered offering. With Liverpool regularly playing two games a week and Jurgen putting a lot of work in preparing for his opponents, it is hard to see the 56-year-old having enough time to juggle both positions.