Jürgen Klopp Takes Charge of Germany's National Team
Jürgen Klopp is back. The sabbatical is over, the speculation is finished, and Germany have placed their fractured national team in the hands of one of the most charismatic coaches of his generation.
The former Liverpool manager has been confirmed as Germany’s new head coach on a contract running until the end of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, a long-term commitment that underlines just how deep the rebuild must go.
He returns to the dugout for the first time since walking away from Anfield in 2024, when he cited exhaustion after nine relentless years that delivered a Premier League title, a UEFA Champions League crown and a FIFA Club World Cup, among a stack of other honours. Now the task is different, and arguably heavier: revive a fallen superpower.
Germany are at one of their lowest ebbs in modern history. Julian Nagelsmann resigned last month after a round-of-32 exit to Paraguay, another bleak chapter in a decade that has seen the four-time world champions lurch from one disappointment to the next. The DFB have responded by going all in on Klopp, giving him control through the next UEFA European Championship and the next World Cup.
The scale of the role has already hit him.
“Over the last few days it was almost like a movie happening to myself," Klopp admitted, reflecting on the whirlwind that has taken him from Red Bull’s global head of soccer – a role he had held since late 2024 – to the most scrutinised job in German football.
“I have always surmised the job of Germany head coach is really big, but now it is really dawning on me what being the national team head coach is all about.
“For many, many years it was unimaginable for me to assume this position. As the years went by, it became more or less evident that sooner or later I would be asked to do this job. Now I think the time is right.”
Germany clearly agree. They have allowed him to assemble a familiar inner circle. Former Liverpool assistants Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz will form the core of his coaching staff, restoring the tight-knit group that helped transform Liverpool from also-rans into serial contenders.
Behind the scenes, the structure is shifting too. Per Mertesacker will become the DFB’s new sporting director in January, stepping in after leaving his role overseeing Arsenal’s academy at the end of the 2025/26 season. A World Cup-winning centre-back now tasked with shaping the pathway above and below the senior side: the symbolism is obvious.
Klopp’s first match could hardly be scripted better. In September, Germany face the Netherlands, captained by Virgil van Dijk, one of the pillars of his Liverpool era. Old alliances, new battle lines. For a country searching for identity, that night will offer the first glimpse of what Klopp’s Germany might look like – and how quickly he can turn noise into momentum.
United glimpse the future as 15-year-old Gabriel joins senior squad
In Trondheim, another story of beginnings is unfolding.
Manchester United have named 15-year-old JJ Gabriel in a senior squad for the first time, including the teenage forward in the 25-man group for Friday’s pre-season friendly against Rosenborg. For a fanbase obsessed with its next homegrown star, it is a tantalising sight.
Gabriel has already been dominating his own age group. He was voted Under-18 Premier League player of the season last campaign despite starting it as a 14-year-old, a remarkable accolade that underlines just how far ahead of his peers he already is.
There was a hard rule in his way, though. Academy players must have turned 15 before the end of August to be eligible for that Premier League season, which meant Gabriel could not be named in a senior league squad. So he stayed with the Under-18s and simply tore that level apart.
Twenty-nine goals in 32 appearances. A central role in United’s runs to both the FA Youth Cup and Premier League Under-18 Cup finals. A winger by trade, but trusted through the middle for long stretches of the season. While he could not step onto the pitch for the first team, he was a regular presence at senior training, learning the rhythms of the group he now edges closer to joining.
The club’s history hangs over every prodigy. The youngest player to feature in a competitive match for United remains David Gaskell, who debuted as a goalkeeper in 1956 at 16 years and 19 days. Gabriel, who turns 16 in October, is closing in on that landmark, but the club are trying to keep the brakes on the hype.
“JJ’s a big talent,” said manager Michael Carrick last season. “It’s pretty obvious to know that. And he’s had a really good season for the Under-18s. We obviously think an awful lot of him, but patience is important in managing everything that comes with working with him.”
The temptation, as ever at Old Trafford, will be to rush. The message from inside the club is clear: let the talent breathe.
Newcastle double down on youth with Bamba deal
While United nurture their own, Newcastle United are scouring Europe for the next wave.
The club have completed the signing of 20-year-old central midfielder Aladji Bamba, who only made his professional debut for Monaco last season but has already done enough to convince Newcastle that he fits their long-term vision.
His arrival drags the average age of their summer signings down to just 19.5. Ewen Jaouen, a 20-year-old goalkeeper from Reims, winger Bazoumana Toure, also 20, from Hoffenheim, and 18-year-old central midfielder Sean Steur from Ajax have already come through the door. It is not a scattergun policy; it is a clear shift.
Newcastle have seen Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon depart for Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona respectively in this window. Instead of chasing like-for-like, peak-age replacements, they are investing in players they believe can grow into those roles.
Bamba, on the numbers, looks like a classic modern holding midfielder with scope to do more. Among Ligue 1 midfielders who played at least 500 minutes last season, he ranked in the top five for duels won (9.1 per game on average), tackles (3.6), successful take-ons (1.6) and aerial duels won (1.9). He can play higher up the pitch, but his natural game leans towards the defensive side.
Newcastle see a long-term successor to Tonali: a player who can break up play, carry the ball, and impose himself physically. The risk is obvious when you lean this heavily on youth. The upside, if even two or three of these signings hit, is just as clear.
Robertson parks 26 as he pays tribute to King at Spurs
In north London, a different kind of decision has set the tone for Andy Robertson’s new life at Tottenham.
The Scotland captain has turned his back on the No 26 shirt he has worn for most of his club career – at Dundee United, Hull City and over nine years at Liverpool – out of respect for Ledley King, the former Spurs captain whose number has not been used since his retirement in 2012.
Robertson has instead chosen 3, a number that carries its own weight for him and for his new club.
“From my point of view, I wanted to respect that,” Robertson said of King, now a club ambassador. “He was an unbelievable player and has done so many good things for this football club.
“Number 3 means a lot to me – that’s my national team number, I’ve had so many good memories as number 3 for Scotland so when I knew 3 was going to become available, it was a no-brainer for me."
It is a small gesture, but it lands well at a club that holds its icons close. Robertson is expected to make his Spurs debut on their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia, where they face Auckland, Sydney FC and Chelsea.
The left-back has already been pulled into the dressing-room dynamic. He revealed that James Maddison is his closest friend in the squad, a bond that was tested – or at least teased – on the long-haul flight to New Zealand. Maddison posted a photo of Robertson looking less than thrilled with the caption: “He better liven up if he’s my company for this 26 hour flight.”
Twenty-two hours later, Maddison followed up with another image, this time of Robertson smiling. New club, new number, same competitiveness. The serious work starts now.
