Messiah or papering over cracks? Klopp must sway doubters in Germany rebuild

Messiah or papering over cracks? Klopp must sway doubters in Germany rebuildImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Klopp has signed a four-year deal as Germany head coachByKit HoldenGerman football writerPublished2 minutes agoCommentsHe was once hailed as Liverpool's footballing messiah. Now Jurgen Klopp has been asked to work miracles for his country.Last month, Klopp watched on as a touchline TV pundit as Germany went out of the World Cup in a shock penalty shootout defeat by Paraguay.The loss led head coach Julian Nagelsmann to resign and plunged German football into a full-scale identity crisis.Just three weeks later, it is Klopp who has been tasked with picking up the pieces and restoring his country's once-famous winning mentality, signing a four-year-deal to become head coach.Assigned with leading the team through Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup, Klopp's first game in charge will be against the Netherlands on 24 September."The national team can unite us Germans like almost nothing else. That's precisely what makes this task so special for me," Klopp said.A Champions League and Premier League winner with Liverpool and a two-time Bundesliga champion with Borussia Dortmund, the 59-year-old is already considered one of the greatest German managers.Yet while many believe he is the perfect man for the national team job, the appointment has also sparked fierce debate in Germany.For the German football association (DFB), securing Klopp's signature has been a priority since Nagelsmann resigned in the wake of the Paraguay defeat.DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said Klopp "embodies passion, credibility, and the ability to inspire people". "After Julian Nagelsmann's resignation, he was our unequivocal choice for the position of national team coach. That's why we pursued him relentlessly," Neuendorf added.Now the deal is done.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Klopp has worked as a pundit on German te...