Klopp Eats Humble Pie Over Nagelsmann Jab – 'I'm 59 and Still an Idiot'

Jurgen Klopp has eaten his words after an off-the-cuff remark about Julian Nagelsmann's position went down like a lead balloon during Germany's 7-1 demolition of Curacao in their World Cup Group E opener on Sunday.

The ex-Liverpool manager, working as a pundit for Magenta TV from the Houston sidelines, let slip a comment that "luckily, Julian Nagelsmann is picking the team, still" – a throwaway line that set alarm bells ringing back home about the coach's future prospects in the tournament.

Standing beside him, fellow pundit Thomas Mueller couldn't help but smirk at the implication, quipping: "Kloppo, we are still in June. You are already in September."

The damage was done. That single word – "still" – had viewers reading between the lines, wondering whether Klopp was hinting at doubts over Nagelsmann's tenure should things go pear-shaped in Qatar. But with Germany's commanding performance in the bank, Klopp made his move to smooth things over.

"I could have punched myself in the face for that," he confessed during a post-match chat with the man himself.

"We're part of the team here, absolutely backing you all the way. I've already discovered the most hated word of the year: still. It just tumbled out, completely casual, and means absolutely nothing."

The 59-year-old, who turns another year older on Tuesday, wasn't finished with the self-flagellation either. "What I've realised is, I'll be 59 on Tuesday and I'm still an idiot," he added.

With a Premier League title, a Champions League trophy, and two Bundesliga crowns to his name from his time at Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, Klopp is hardly short on credentials. These days, he's Global Soccer boss at Red Bull – though the German coaching community has repeatedly whispered his name for the national job, even since Nagelsmann's appointment in 2023.

"We are completely on your side, whatever you do with this," Klopp assured his fellow countryman. "Nothing here is meant to rock the boat."

Germany sit top of Group E following their rout of Curacao and face Ivory Coast on June 20, with Ecuador to come five days later. It's Nagelsmann's first World Cup in charge, and after Germany's group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, the pressure is firmly on.