Hitzlsperger warns Germany against treating Klopp appointment as ‘quick fix’

Thomas Hitzlsperger believes Germany’s decision to appoint Jurgen Klopp as head coach was a “quick fix” and says the German FA should have considered alternative candidates before negotiating with its preferred choice.

Hitzlsperger, 44, said Klopp was “definitely” the best candidate for the job, but questioned the way the process was handled after Germany’s World Cup exit and Julian Nagelsmann’s departure.

“By bringing him in, it’s a quick fix; it’s an easy one, it’s almost a no-brainer,” Hitzlsperger said. “But from a professional point of view, if you negotiate with somebody where the other party already knows that they really need this person, then he can basically write his own cheque.”

The former Germany international said the federation had no need to appoint a coach immediately and should have interviewed other candidates while maintaining a plan B.

“They never seem to have a plan B,” he added. “You might be surprised; there might be other solutions.”

Hitzlsperger began his career at Bayern Munich before moving to Aston Villa at 18 and later spending time on loan at Chesterfield. He scored a crucial equaliser for Stuttgart against Energie Cottbus in the final match of the 2006-07 Bundesliga season, a result which helped the club win the title ahead of Schalke.

He retired at 31 after making more than 300 appearances in Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Premier League for clubs including Wolfsburg, West Ham, Lazio and Everton. Shortly afterwards, he became the first high-profile footballer to come out as gay.

Hitzlsperger worked in football media for ESPN, BBC, The Guardian, Sky Germany, Fox Sports and ARD, and was Stuttgart’s sporting director before becoming chief executive between 2019 and 2022. He is also a board member of Hellas Verona, having joined in January 2025, and was co-owner of Aalborg BK before stepping down last month after three-and-a-half years.

He praised Aston Villa’s progress under Unai Emery, saying the manager had been given the authority and resources to build the club in his own way.

“His combination with the ownership, who have allowed him to express himself and build this team the way he wants, is really phenomenal,” he said.

Villa won their first European trophy in 44 years, finished fourth in the Premier League last season and returned to the UEFA Champions League. Hitzlsperger said Emery had transformed the club after replacing Steven Gerrard, although financial regulations could make it difficult to sustain that level.

The former midfielder also criticised football’s increasingly congested calendar and the pressure created by transfer-market deadlines.

“The greed of big organisations is what makes players suffer,” he said, adding that the volume of games created both physical and mental strain.

He described the Nations League as “fine”, but said he would choose carefully which matches to watch because of the number of fixtures.

Hitzlsperger also highlighted Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness, praising his brave, attacking style and relationship with the club’s board. Stuttgart have won all but one of their matches this season, a 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich, and he believes they can finish second in the Bundesliga and reach the next round of the Champions League with a favourable draw.