Friday was a big day in Jürgen Klopp's managerial career, he might even say the biggest. It had been the worst kept secret in football, with the 59 year old appointed as the new head coach of the German national team.
When he left Liverpool two years ago back in summer of 2024, he vowed to never take another club job, and die Mannschaft's head coach might just be the only role he was ever consider.
Following the German's embarrassing World Cup exit in the round of 32 against Paraguay on penalties, Julian Nagelsmann's position had become untenable and so it proved.
Despite all he has achieved during his time in charge of Borussia Dortmund and then on Merseyside, Klopp believes this to be the biggest role he has ever taken:
"It’s a great honour for me to be sitting here today. This is ideally the high point of my career, of my life, my professional life. I will give it everything I have. The national team brings us Germans together like almost nothing else can. That’s what makes this task so special for me."
Klopp's tenure in charge of die Nationalelf will begin in the UEFA Nations League in September, targeting success at Euro 2028 in the United Kingdom and then the next World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco in 2030.
However, he might not be the only former Liverpool boss going into the international game.
Arne Slot: Netherlands
Following Netherlands own penalty shootout round of 32 exit from the World Cup, ousted by Morocco, the Netherlands are also in the market for a new head coach.
Well, considering that, since 2000, eight of the Oranje's 12 head coaches have been either Louis van Gaal, Dick Advocaat or Ronald Koeman, they don't exactly have the biggest contacts list.
Well, Arne Slot is currently the favourite to take the job, with Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had been working as Koeman's assistant, the other leading candidate.
One of the challenges Slot faced during his time at Liverpool was that his family remained in Rotterdam, but taking this job would give him a greater work-life balance. Were he to do so, circle this in red in your calendars Liverpool fans, his first game in charge would be against Klopp's Germany at the Johan Cruijff Arena on 24 September.
Slot to become the new Netherlands manager seems pretty straight-forward and it makes sense for all parties. The other former Liverpool coach, potentially, heading into international management is far more out of left field.
Rafa Benítez: Scotland
🗣️ "Any country that can offer you the possibility to achieve something..."
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) July 10, 2026
Is becoming Scotland's next manager of interest to Rafa Benitez? 🏴 pic.twitter.com/d0AjImUTIt
After yet another group stage elimination at a major tournament, this perhaps the worst of the lot, Steve Clarke resigned as Scotland manager, a mere 31 days after signing a new four-year contract. With no obvious Scottish candidate, David Moyes and Derek McInnes off the table, the SFA will have to go foreign, so could that be Rafa Benítez?
Well, speaking to Sky Sports earlier this year, the 66 year old confirmed "I'm open to all the good countries, yes", adding "it could be interesting".
In case you have lost track, Benítez was most recently at Panathinaikos, leading them to fourth place in last season's Greek Super League, as well as to the Europa League round of 16 before being dispensed with. That was his ninth job since leaving Liverpool in 2010, having also been in charge of Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Dàlián Pro, Everton (remember that?), Celta Vigo and then Panathinaikos.
It possibly is a sign of how far he has fallen that he is being linked with the Scotland job, and not that of a tier-one nation, but his defensive style could suit the Tartan Army, even if they might just be hoping for something more exciting.
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