Klopp Unveiled as DFB Coach, Mertesacker Set for Key Role

The German Football Association is bracing for a landmark day in Frankfurt. Jürgen Klopp is set to be unveiled as the new national team coach – and he will not be the only major figure tied to the DFB before the day is out.

According to consistent reports from Sky and RTL, Per Mertesacker is poised to return to German football’s inner circle, this time not on the pitch but in the boardroom. The 2014 World Cup winner is expected to sign on as the DFB’s new managing director for sport, succeeding Andreas Rettig.

The agreement is reportedly due to be signed today. Mertesacker, currently head of the Arsenal academy, is then expected to officially start his new role in January 2027. His contract is set to run through to the 2030 World Cup, a clear indication that the DFB views him as a central architect of Germany’s next major tournament cycle.

The personnel decision is also expected to be announced today, adding another layer of significance to an already heavyweight occasion for the association.

One notable detail: while Klopp will take centre stage in Frankfurt, Mertesacker will not be present. His signature may arrive quietly, but the implications for the DFB’s sporting direction are anything but.