Klopp Unveiled as National Team Coach: Mertesacker Joins DFB

The German Football Association is reshaping its power axis – and doing it in one dramatic sweep.

On the very day Jürgen Klopp is due to be unveiled as the new national team coach, the DFB is also set to lock in a key figure behind the scenes. According to consistent reports from Sky and RTL, Per Mertesacker will become the new managing director for sport, succeeding Andreas Rettig.

It is a heavyweight appointment. A 2014 World Cup winner, a former leader in the national team dressing room, and now the man expected to help steer German football through its next World Cup cycle.

The deal is reportedly due to be signed today. Mertesacker is then expected to officially start the role in January 2027, with a contract running through to the 2030 World Cup. Long-term trust, written into paper.

The timing is striking. On the front line, Klopp, one of the most charismatic coaches of his generation. In the engine room, Mertesacker, meticulous, thoughtful, and already seasoned from his work in youth and academy structures. The DFB is not just changing faces; it is changing its profile.

The personnel decision is also expected to be announced today, adding a second headline to a day already dominated by Klopp’s presentation. Yet there will be no double act on stage in Frankfurt. Mertesacker will not be present at the announcement.

So while the cameras track Klopp’s every word, another signature – quieter but no less significant – is set to shape how Germany builds towards 2030.