Jurgen Klopp has “rebuffed” an approach from U.S. Soccer to become the men’s national team head coach, David Ornstein of The Athletic reported Thursday.
The federation made “initial contact” with Klopp over the possibility of replacing Gregg Berhalter as head coach, per Miguel Delaney of The Independent, but The Athletic’s latest report has dampened nationwide hopes to lure the German over to the United States.
In response to U.S. Soccer’s approach, Klopp “reiterated that he would like a break from football.” However, the federation reportedly remains interested in pursuing the 57-year-old.
Klopp formally stepped down from Liverpool in May at the end of the 2023-24 Premier League season because he was “running out of energy.” The German noted in his farewell video to the club that he intends to take a one-year hiatus from coaching, at minimum.
More on Berhalter firing:
With Klopp seemingly out of the picture for now, U.S. Men's Soccer will have to look elsewhere to find a new head coach after Berhalter’s recent sacking. The U.S. men’s national team crashed out of this summer’s Copa America in the group stage and will begin preparing for their next major international tournament, the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico.
“Our immediate focus is on finding a coach who can maximize our potential as we continue to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, and we have already begun our search process,” U.S. Soccer’s sporting director Matt Crocker said.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jurgen Klopp Turned Down Opportunity to Become USMNT Head Coach, per Report.