Women’s football
Popp wants Klopp as a coach: “I would celebrate that”
Would like to train under Jürgen Klopp: Alexandra Popp. photo
© Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa
In the debate about Hrubesch’s successor at the DFB, one can also dream. Captain Alexandra Popp had a very special request.
The 72-year-old Hrubesch will only train the German soccer players until the Summer Olympics in Paris – if they get the Paris ticket. In order to qualify, his players have to defeat the Netherlands in the game for third place in the Nations League on Wednesday (8.45 p.m./ZDF) in Heerenveen. In the event of a defeat, Hrubesch’s short term in office would be over.
The German Football Association (DFB) had repeatedly stated on the question of Hrubesch’s successor that they were prepared for all scenarios. It is not yet known who will be the new national coach. “The person simply has to – to put it stupidly – thrive for this position,” said Popp about the requirements profile. It “doesn’t matter” whether it’s a man or a woman. The new guy must come with a “clear plan,” which was “missing to some extent” last year.
However, the Wolfsburg player and her colleagues cannot currently hope for Klopp, who has not previously worked in women’s football, to get involved. According to his agent, the star coach will not take charge of a club or national team for a year when he leaves England in the summer.
Klopp has been very popular with the German national players since the 2022 European Championships in England at the latest. At that time, he sent the eventual European runners-up a video message before the semi-final against France in which he enthused: “I was so impressed. Crazy! Now you know that I like a certain type of football and you can imagine that love your football.”