Jürgen Klopp is back in coaching, and Germany is hoping one of the game's most successful managers can restore its place among international football's elite.
The German Football Association (DFB) unveiled Klopp as the new head coach of the men's national team on Friday, handing the former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager a contract through the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The appointment comes after Germany's latest World Cup failure, extending a run of disappointing tournament performances that has left one of football's traditional powerhouses searching for answers.
"The national team brings us Germans together like almost nothing else can. That's what makes this task so special for me," Klopp said during his introductory news conference in Frankfurt.
Klopp succeeds Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned after Die Mannschaft's penalty shootout loss to Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup.
The defeat ended Germany's campaign before the last 16 and marked the third consecutive World Cup in which the four-time champion failed to make a deep run after group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022.
The 59-year-old returns to the touchline for the first time since leaving Liverpool in 2024, when he stepped away after nearly nine years at Anfield, citing exhaustion following one of the most demanding spells of his coaching career.
After leaving Liverpool, Klopp spent the past year and a half as Red Bull's head of global football, overseeing the company's worldwide network of clubs.
During this summer's World Cup, he also worked in the United States as a television pundit for a German-language broadcaster while discussions with the DFB gathered momentum.
Germany quickly identified Klopp as its preferred candidate once Nagelsmann stepped down, with negotiations culminating in an agreement that ends Klopp's brief break from management.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential coaches of his generation, Klopp built his reputation on an aggressive, high-pressing style famously dubbed "heavy metal football."
His energetic approach transformed Borussia Dortmund into Bundesliga champions twice before he guided Liverpool to the 2019 UEFA Champions League title, the club's first Premier League crown in 30 years in 2020, and several domestic trophies.
Now he faces an entirely different challenge in his first international coaching role.
Germany boasts a talented core that includes Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and several emerging stars, but the team has consistently fallen short on the biggest stage.
The DFB hopes Klopp can rebuild confidence, restore tactical identity and reestablish the winning culture that carried Germany to World Cup triumphs in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014.
His long-term contract reflects the federation's commitment to stability, with Klopp expected to oversee Germany through UEFA Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup while playing a key role in the development of the country's next generation of talent.
There will be little time to settle in.
Klopp's first assignment comes in late September and early October, when Germany plays four UEFA Nations League matches in just 11 days against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia.
The demanding schedule will provide an immediate opportunity to begin implementing the high-intensity pressing game that defined his success at club level.