Julian Nagelsmann may enjoy a long summer at home in Bavaria to recharge his batteries and look at potential offers now that his time as German national team coach is over.
Nagelsmann is only 38 but the Germany job and a term at record champions Bayern Munich are as good as it can get in his home country.
Having started in his 20s at Hoffenheim, Nagelsmann’s progress has been steady via RB Leipzig and Bayern to the national team.
It has not been smooth sailing all the way as he was axed in Munich in the spring of 2023 and now resigned from the Germany job after a last 32 exit at the World Cup against Paraguay.
It is expected that Nagelsmann will return to club football but it will depend on potential offers how long he will be idle.
“A life without goals is not worth living. That’s why I think it’s healthy to have goals,” he said before the World Cup.
Germany sporting director Rudi Völler named Nagelsmann “a absolutely top class coach” even after the Pararguay defeat.
Many experts believe that Nagelsmann is born to coach club teams with the daily work rather than the on and off national team weeks. However, he also seemed to like the influence there, first renewing his original deal until 2024 by two years and then until 2028.
Having coached Bayern and Leipzig, any other club in Germany would be a step back – the only exception being Borussia Dortmund where Niko Kovac is however working successfully.
Nagelsmann speaks fluent English but many top clubs abroad have just had changes at the helm: Real Madrid bringing in José Mourinho, Enzo Maresca taking the Manchester City job, Andoni Iraola at Liverpool and Xabi Alonso at Chelsea.
Others are staying put, such as Luis Enrique at back-to-back Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, Mikel Arteta at Premier League winners Arsenal and Hansi Flick, whom Nagelsmann succeeded at Bayern and then Germany, at Spanish champions Barcelona.
Flick joining Barca in 2024 and having big success is the most notable move of a former Germany coach. Jürgen Klinsmann lasted less than a season at Bayern who also saw their icon Franz Beckenbauer help out as caretaker every now and then after his Germany term.
Jupp Derwall went to Turkey for three successful years at Galatasaray and Berti Vogts’ stops after his Germany term included Scotland, Nigeria and Azerbaijan.
One coach has not returned so far: Joachim Löw, the 2014 World Cup winner who stepped down after 15 years in charge in 2021.
Such a long time outside of coaching would surely not appeal to Nagelsmann.
And there may be one option for him, albeit again a national team: Germany’s long time big rivals Netherlands parted ways with Ronald Koeman after exiting the World Cup the same day as the Germans and are looking for a successor.
The Dutch host Germany in the next match for both teams on September 24.
