German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann has signed a contract extension to remain in charge until at least the 2026 World Cup, the German Football Association (DFB) said on Friday.
“This is a decision that comes from the heart. It is a great honor to coach the national team,” Nagelsmann said in a statement.
The announcement comes just weeks before Germany hosts the 2024 European Championships in June and July.
Nagelsmann said he was “moved by the fans’ enthusiasm” following victories in recent friendlies against France and the Netherlands.
“Together we now want to have a successful domestic Euro,” said Nagelsmann.
The DFB was already “absolutely convinced” of the need to keep Nagelsmann beyond this year’s tournament, national team director Rudi Voeller said in the statement.
The coach’s decision to extend his stay until the 2026 World Cup in North America sent a “strong signal”, DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said in the statement.
The announcement ends speculation that Nagelsmann would return to club football after Euro 2024.
The 36-year-old was “on the wish list” of many top European clubs, Neuendorf said.
Nagelsmann was heavily linked with a return to Bayern Munich, who parted ways with the Bavarian last year.
The perennial winners, however, have struggled since releasing Nagelsmann, handing the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen this season and ending a run of 11 successive titles.
Despite remaining in the Champions League hunt, Bayern’s poor league performance was enough to cost Nagelsmann’s replacement, Thomas Tuchel, his job.
Nagelsmann, who initially only signed a contract with the national team until the end of this summer’s tournament, will not, however, be Tuchel’s replacement.
Germany will try to compete at Euro 2024 after being eliminated from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the group stage.
A series of miserable results after the tournament was enough for the DFB management to decide that they could not continue under coach Hansi Flick.
Since then, Germany’s fortunes have improved with Nagelsmann at the helm, and the team will head into the championship in good form.
The tournament begins in Munich on June 14, when Germany faces Scotland at Bayern’s Allianz Arena.
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