A group of prominent coaches will lead their national teams at the upcoming World Cup, many stepping into international roles for the first time after establishing their reputations through club success. Jurgen Klopp, currently the head of global soccer at Red Bull, expressed in a recent interview with CBS Sports that he finds the national team coaching position to be “intense”. He believes that competitions like the UEFA Nations League contribute unnecessary pressure on these managers.
Although he has never coached a national team, Klopp is doubtful he would take that path, admitting he has “no clue” as to the appeal of such positions, especially given the recent trend of club coaches transitioning to national teams.
High-profile coaches at the forthcoming World Cup include the U.S. men’s national team’s Mauricio Pochettino, Brazil’s Carlo Ancelotti, England’s Thomas Tuchel, and Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann. Klopp praised these coaches but noted that multiple challenges hinder national coaches from implementing a progressive tactical vision.
Klopp said, “Julian’s exceptional, Thomas, exceptional, Poche, exceptional, Carlo – oof! Fantastic,” acknowledging the difficulty in balancing preparations with the physical demands of players ahead of a major tournament.
He highlighted how France’s 2018 World Cup victory was a lesson in sacrificing style for results, noting their defensive tactics under Didier Deschamps with world-class players executing efficient counterattacks.
The fundamental difference between club and national team coaching lies in the time available—club coaches work with their teams consistently throughout the season, while national managers have sporadic training sessions.
Klopp concluded that achieving success as a national coach requires not only talent but also substantial time to instill tactical changes, emphasizing that these tournaments primarily revolve around winning, stating, “Did you ever hear 10 years after the World Cup that someone said, look, they went out in the quarterfinal but I tell you, the football they played was incredible?”
