Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann. [EPA]
Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann. [EPA]

Julian Nagelsmann, 38, has resigned as head coach of the German national football team, taking responsibility for the country's round-of-32 exit at the North America World Cup.

The German Football Association (DFB) voted unanimously at its supervisory board to terminate Nagelsmann's contract, following a proposal by DFB President Bernd Neuendorf.

The association said Nagelsmann had requested to step down during a meeting with senior officials on Thursday. Local media, however, interpreted the departure as an effective dismissal, reporting that Neuendorf and sporting director Rudi Völler had encouraged him to resign voluntarily.

Germany was eliminated June 29 after losing to Paraguay on penalties in the round of 32. The four-time World Cup champions have now failed to advance past the round of 16 in three consecutive tournaments, following early exits at Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

After the tournament, Nagelsmann signaled his intention to stay on, saying, "I'm not someone who runs away."

Calls for accountability quickly mounted among former national team players, including Mats Hummels and Philipp Lahm. Reports also emerged that several players, including key midfielder Leon Goretzka, had refused to take penalty kicks against Paraguay — a match that ended Germany's previously unblemished record in World Cup penalty shootouts.

Nagelsmann took charge of the national team in September 2023, with his contract running through Euro 2028, scheduled for June and July of that year. The DFB is reported to have included a clause in a contract extension signed last year allowing early termination if Germany were eliminated in the group stage. Because Germany reached the round of 32, Nagelsmann is expected to receive a severance payment of 7 million euros ($8 million), equivalent to one year's salary, according to local media.

Jürgen Klopp, 59, who led Liverpool for nine years from 2015, is the frontrunner to succeed him. The DFB said it plans to open talks with Klopp and confirmed he has already expressed willingness to take the job.


chami@heraldcorp.com