On Sunday evening, Spain overcame England 2-1 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin to be crowned European champions.
This saw pre-tournament favourites England lose their second consecutive European Championship final, having previously been beaten by Italy at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium.
This has, therefore, led to a number of reports suggesting that Gareth Southgate has taken England as far as he can. With the 53-year-old’s contract with the FA set to expire at the end of the year, there have already been suggestions surrounding who should succeed the England legend.
Could England really appoint Jürgen Klopp?
Speaking after the Euro 2024 final, England legend Gary Lineker remarked that the FA should give “everything” in order for Klopp to succeed Southgate.
Alan Shearer then questioned whether England would “bring a German coach” before Lineker replied, “He’s not really German, is he? He’s half German, isn’t he, because he’s been in England for so long?“
When Klopp announced that he would be departing Liverpool at the end of last season, the former Borussia Dortmund head coach also confirmed that he would be taking time away from coaching.
It is understood that Klopp has already decided against becoming the new head coach of the USA national team, ahead of them co-hosting the 2026 World Cup. With the domestic season having only just come to its conclusion, it is unlikely that Klopp will go straight back into management.
However, should England wait until the expiration of Southgate’s contract at the end of the year, then perhaps they would be able to persuade the German head coach.
Nevertheless, there will undoubtedly be a number of teams looking to appoint Klopp when he decides to return to management, and whether the FA could meet his financial demands is unknown. As Lineker later claimed, “I can’t imagine the FA shelling out that much money.”
Regardless, whoever is fortunate enough to secure Klopp’s signature in the future will be looking to establish a period of success.
GGFN | Will Shopland
