“The right one for us”
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DFB managing director Andreas Rettig can well imagine a long-term collaboration with national coach Julian Nagelsmann and has not yet made any contact with Jürgen Klopp. “You don’t send a successful national coach away,” said Rettig in an interview with “Focus Online“. The 60-year-old official did not want to decide which performance at the home European Championships (June 14th to July 14th) would be considered a success: “I am not one of those who dictates rankings now. It would be important that our hearts reach out to us. That wouldn’t be bad.”
Nagelsmann initially has a contract until the European Championships. In the preliminary round, the DFB team, which has been weak in recent tournaments, faces Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland. “Fourth in the preliminary round at a home European Championship would certainly not be a good application letter,” emphasized Rettig, who called Nagelsmann’s interaction with the team, the coaching team and the sports director Rudi Völler “impressive”.
The 36-year-old is passionate about the national team. “When a young coach allows this closeness to his sports director, it is also a sign of greatness and strength. No wagon-fortress mentality along the lines of ‘I can and know everything’. Instead, get the opinion and advice of an experienced man like Rudi. I think that’s great and shows that he’s the right person for us,” emphasized Rettig.
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Meanwhile, there have been no discussions with successful coach Klopp, whose era at Liverpool FC ends this summer. “We respect what he and his management said. He wants to have a break and that’s why it’s not an issue,” said Rettig. When asked, he specified: “There was no contact. He has prescribed a time-out for himself.” There had recently been reports that the current assistant coach Sandro Wagner could bridge the gap after the European Championships if Klopp decides to become a national coach after his break. This is of course provided that Nagelsmann wants to devote himself to club football again after the tournament.
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