DFB Vice President Ralf-Uwe Schaffert recently gave a controversial interview.
Shaffert said Klopp’s long-standing relationship with Germany was meaningless.
DFB officials publicly criticized the interview.
The vice president of the German Football Association (DFB) has said it is “impossible” for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to leave because of his high wages.
Klopp has long been considered the manager of Germany’s future. A move to manage the national team had been expected with all his previous Liverpool contracts expiring, but the manager is finally set to extend his stay at Anfield.
Klopp is currently tied to Liverpool until 2026 and has said he will not terminate his contract early unless he is sacked sooner. If Klopp takes over as Germany manager in the future, he may have to lower his wage demands as DFB vice-president Ralph Uwe Schaffert has claimed his current wages are too high.”
The DFB can’t handle Jurgen Klopp at all.” Schaffert told Hannoversche Allgemeine. “If you add €24 million a year plus €26 million in guaranteed advertising revenue, you get €50 million.”
Schaffert later claimed that the salary paid to former Germany manager Hansi Flick was “pure madness” and praised current manager Julian Nagelsmann for taking a pay cut.
Shaffert’s interview, which was shockingly critical of key figures including Ilkay Gundogan and Joshua Kimmich, was heavily criticized by several senior DFB members. Schaffert’s comments do not reflect the wider views of the DFB, but there is no denying that recruitment will be difficult for Klopp over the next few years.
Nagelsmann’s contract runs until the summer of 2024, after the European Championships on home soil, and Germany can begin their search for a new manager.
When Klopp was last linked with the German manager’s job, he reiterated his commitment to Liverpool and his desire to lead the club into a new era and said his “heart” remained at Anfield.
