Klopp, Zidane international jobs do not mean club football is losing its pull
ESPN argues Klopp’s Germany role and Zidane’s expected France job show national teams still trail elite clubs for top coaches.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Jürgen Klopp and Zinedine Zidane international jobs may look like a power shift in football coaching, but ESPN’s Mark Ogden says the elite club game still holds the throne.
Ogden reported that Klopp is back in management with Germany, while Zidane is close to being named France coach. Their moves follow Carlo Ancelotti with Brazil, Thomas Tuchel with England and Mauricio Pochettino with the United States, creating the look of a national-team boom for headline managers.
ESPN’s analysis pushes back on that idea. Ogden wrote that international coaching remains more often a stop for managers seeking a reset, a lower-pressure rhythm or a way back into the sport after time away from the club grind.
Why are Klopp and Zidane taking international jobs?
According to Ogden, Klopp and Zidane had both been out of management, Klopp for two years and Zidane for five. He wrote that national-team work gives both a route back into football while preserving some of the freedom they have had since leaving Liverpool and Real Madrid.
International management usually involves fewer matches and less daily club pressure than a top club job. Ogden’s point is that this can appeal to famous coaches who want involvement without the constant demands of a Champions League-level club post.
Ogden contrasted Klopp and Zidane with Ancelotti, Tuchel and Pochettino, saying those three accepted national-team roles after being dismissed from their previous club jobs. He added that each could be tempted by a return to the Champions League if the right club opportunity appears.
Pep Guardiola is the name ESPN casts as the one that would have changed the mood. Ogden wrote that the Italian Football Federation offered Guardiola the Italy job after his 10-year spell at Manchester City ended, but he quickly made clear he did not want to coach the Azzurri.
Italy’s search has since become messy, according to ESPN. Ogden reported that Andrea Pirlo appears to be out of the running because of links to a Russian betting company, while Ancelotti signed a new Brazil contract before Brazil’s World Cup round-of-16 defeat to Norway. Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte, both previously Italy coaches and currently out of work, are now described as leading contenders.
The Netherlands are facing a similar scramble, Ogden wrote, after Ronald Koeman’s exit following a World Cup round-of-32 loss. Arne Slot is listed as the bookmakers’ favorite, but ESPN says he is expected to wait for a stronger club offer. Louis van Gaal is described as the front-runner for what would be a fourth spell as national coach.
Ogden also noted that Erik ten Hag, now technical director at FC Twente, has ruled himself out. Other names mentioned by ESPN include Ruud van Nistelrooy, John Heitinga, PSV Eindhoven coach Peter Bosz and Netherlands under-21 coach Michael Reiziger.
The lesson, in Ogden’s view, may sit with lower-profile coaches already inside national systems. He cited Luis de la Fuente, promoted from Spain’s under-21 side before winning Euro 2024 and the World Cup, and Lionel Scaloni, who stepped up from Argentina’s under-20 role before winning two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup.
Gareth Southgate’s England run is another example Ogden used: two Euros finals and a World Cup semifinal after moving from the under-21 job in 2016. Didier Deschamps, who led France to the 2018 World Cup, is framed as a successful national coach rather than a celebrity club appointment.
Klopp and Zidane may yet prove that superstar club managers can dominate the international scene too. ESPN’s bottom line is sharper: the biggest coaching draw remains club football, with names such as Luis Enrique, Diego Simeone, Mikel Arteta and José Mourinho still set for Champions League touchlines.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.