The German Football Association and Jürgen Klopp have reached a mutual agreement for the latter to take over as head coach of the senior national team, but this agreement still requires approval from Klopp's current employer, the Red Bull group, according to the association's announcement on Saturday. The association stated in its statement: 'Bernd Neuendorf, the association's president, and his deputy Hans-Joachim Watzke, held an in-depth preliminary meeting with Jürgen Klopp in New York on Friday to discuss the possibility of appointing him as head coach of the national team.' It added: 'During this constructive dialogue, an agreement was reached on the main points of a potential contract. Discussions will resume next week. Both sides express confidence that negotiations can be successfully concluded, subject to the approval of Red Bull, Klopp's current employer.' It concluded: 'Any potential contract must receive final approval from the Supervisory Board and the General Assembly of the German Football Association.' Since Julian Nagelsmann's resignation after Germany's elimination by Paraguay on penalties (3-4, 1-1 in regular and extra time) in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, Klopp (59 years old) has been the association's preferred candidate to succeed him. After successful stints as coach of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, he became a legend at Liverpool, where he won the English Premier League title in 2020, ending a 30-year drought, one year after winning the UEFA Champions League. Klopp left Liverpool in June 2024 after nine seasons, during which he led the club to numerous titles. Since January 1, 2025, Klopp has been working as global head of football at Red Bull, overseeing the various clubs owned by the Austrian energy drink brand. German football is experiencing an unprecedented crisis, having suffered three consecutive World Cup defeats: the team was eliminated in the group stage in 2018 and 2022, and in the Round of 32 in the current edition.