Former Liverpool and Germany midfielder Didi Hamann believes that the door could be open for Reds manager Jurgen Klopp to take charge of Die Mannschaft after Euro 2024.
Since the exit of World Cup-winning head coach Joachim Low after Euro 2020 and the ill-fated reign of Hansi Flick, Klopp has been persistently linked with taking charge of his national team, although he briefly quashed such talk by signing a new Liverpool deal in April 2022.
The 56-year-old's current terms at Anfield run for another two-and-a-half years, although the German national team supposedly still approached him over the possibility of taking the reins for their home Euros next summer, only to be rebuffed due to Klopp's desire to coach Liverpool through their period of midfield transition.
Klopp's agent Marc Kosicke also publicly stated last September that the Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup-winning boss was not thinking about swapping Liverpool for Germany, leading to the DFB to hire ex-Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann instead.
Nagelsmann - who was sacked by Bayern at the end of March - only has a contract with Germany until the conclusion of Euro 2024, though, and he has won just one of his first four matches in charge of the four-time world champions.
© Reuters
It has been reported that Liverpool are hoping to tie Klopp down to an even longer contract extension in the near future, but the 56-year-old has no intention of committing to another new deal so soon, especially with Nagelsmann's long-term future still shrouded in uncertainty.
Speaking to Sports Mole with King Casino Bonus, Hamann - who played in two World Cups and won 59 caps for Germany - expressed his belief that Nagelsmann would depart Germany after this year's continental championships, and he can envisage Klopp switching to national team management if he achieves Premier League glory with Liverpool this term.
"When managers get older they like to do the national team, it's not as testing as a club manager, and it's about timing," Hamann said. "I think Nagelsmann steps down after the Euros, and if somebody comes in and does a good job then the job might not be available for the next six to eight years.
"We change managers quite a bit, but if somebody comes in and is successful then you may not have the opportunity. It's always a matter of timing, he could certainly have the job after the Euros in the summer.
"Only he knows, but if he wins the league, maybe he says 'my job is done'. I don't want to say we need him more than Liverpool does, but we could do with him!"
On the back of a disastrous World Cup 2022 campaign, in which they were dumped out in the group stage for the second tournament running, Germany are seeking retribution at the home Euros, but not since 1996 have they been crowned champions of the continent.
© Reuters
Nagelsmann's side have been handed a relatively favourable group-stage draw against Hungary, Scotland and Switzerland, but their final two friendlies of 2023 ended in defeat to Austria and Turkey, prior to which the Germany boss oversaw a 2-2 draw with Mexico and 3-1 win over the USA.
Owing to their recent struggles and selection concerns, Hamann can only see his nation progressing as far as the semi-finals at the very best, and he could only name one player who should be a guaranteed starter for Germany at Euro 2024.
"I think it'll be mighty tough," Hamann said on Germany's chances of success this summer. "Nagelsmann said that [Joshua] Kimmich will play right-back, and we don't really know how we set up in the middle.
"If you ask me, there's only one player who's guaranteed a spot and that's Leroy Sane. I think all the other 10 places are up for grabs. If you ask [Didier] Deschamps or [Gareth] Southgate who will play the first game of the Euros, they can probably name you eight or nine players. Our manager can name one or two. This is where are at the moment.
"Uncertainty is never a good thing going into a tournament like this. People are pretty fed up. I'm a bit more hopeful about the group, I think the group is makeable, but I can't see us getting past the quarters or the semis at best."
Germany have another two daunting friendlies with France and the Netherlands pencilled in for March 23 and March 26 respectively before they begin their quest for Euros glory against Scotland at the Allianz Arena on June 14.
Ben Knapton
