The fallout from Germany’s disappointing World Cup campaign continues, and it is proving to be expensive. According to a report from Sky Germany journalists Florian Plettenberg, Kerry Hau, and Patrick Berger (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), the DFB will pay approximately €6.6 million in severance to Julian Nagelsmann and his coaching staff following the decision to dismiss them after Germany’s Round of 32 exit against Paraguay.
While coaching changes are nothing new in international football, this one
highlights just how costly poor planning can become as the DFB is going to be paying these coaches to go away.
The DFB committed to Nagelsmann with a very debatable contract extension in January of 2025, only to pull the plug after another disappointing tournament. Now the federation is not only searching for a new head coach (Jürgen Klopp is in the lead) but also footing a multi-million euro bill before that successor has even been hired.
It also raises questions about accountability. Germany entered the tournament with high expectations after navigating the group stage, but questionable roster construction, tactical decisions, and inconsistent performances ultimately led to another early exit. Whether all of the blame belongs to Nagelsmann is certainly debatable, but the financial consequences of moving on are impossible to ignore.
The timing could hardly be worse for the DFB, which now faces the challenge of convincing a top candidate to take over while absorbing a sizable severance payment. If the federation wants to pursue a high-profile replacement such as Klopp, it will need to spend even more money on top of the €6.6 million already committed.
In the end, the price of failure extends well beyond results on the pitch. Germany’s early elimination has now become an expensive lesson for the DFB, and supporters will be hoping that the next coaching appointment finally provides the stability and direction the national team has been searching for.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- New, improved notifications system!
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
