FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German soccer federation has called a news conference for Friday when it is expected to present Jürgen Klopp as the next national coach.

In a brief announcement on Thursday, the federation didn’t give a reason for the event scheduled for Friday morning at its Frankfurt headquarters.

The former Liverpool manager has been the preferred candidate ever since Julian Nagelsmann resigned following Germany's shock loss on penalties to Paraguay in the World Cup round of 32.

Klopp held talks with Germany officials in New York while working there as a TV expert at the World Cup, and the federation said on July 11 they reached an agreement on “essential key points” of a contract.

At that time, the main obstacle was getting the agreement of drinks giant Red Bull, where Klopp has been working for the last year and a half as head of global soccer, overseeing the network of Red Bull-backed clubs around the world.

Klopp hasn't coached since he left Liverpool in 2024, citing fatigue. He said this month he felt “recharged” and ready for another job.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage