Former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has apologized to Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann for his poorly received joke on team selection.
Long tipped to manage the national side, Klopp is working as a pundit at the World Cup for broadcaster MagentaTV alongside ex-Germany star Thomas Müller and joked during the opening match on Thursday that Nagelsmann picks the team "for now."
The remark was roundly criticized in subsequent days in German media, while Nagelsmann initially declined to comment in a press conference, saying he did not think it was appropriate to discuss the matter.
Following Germany's impressive 7-1 opening win against debutants Curaçao in Houston on Sunday, Klopp addressed the comments in an interview with Nagelsmann on the pitch.
"I could have smacked myself in the face for that, but it was already too late and I was on TV. It just slipped out without thinking," he told Nagelsmann.
"It's completely irrelevant. I hope everyone out there understands that," continued Klopp. "What I’ve realized is that I’ll be 59 the day after tomorrow and I’m still stupid. But it just happened."
Klopp, who works as head of global soccer at Red Bull after leaving Liverpool in 2024, emphasized that he and Müller were on Nagelsmann and the team’s side.
He further called his comment the "un-word of the year," a reference to a well-known annual selection in Germany of terms deemed to be discriminatory.
The two managers clasped hands before Nagelsmann left the interview.
Müller had also responded to the criticism of the comments.
"Of course we discuss things passionately; our aim is to convey our enthusiasm," said the former international, who now plays for Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer.
He said he and Klopp are "huge fans of the team" and of the tournament, adding that there is "always a bit of banter involved."
The pundits' aim is to support the team and "keep the mood light," he added.
