It was a day of national tragedy. One journalist said England were "destined to be losers".¹ The headlines read "Heartbreak, again" and "The Lions weep tonight".² An English playwright penningWriting. a drama about England's ill-fated longtime manager Gareth Southgate resolved to "embrace the tragic ending".³

With tears streaming down their faces on the long trip home after watching England's 11th Euro failure, Lions fans experienced a taste of what Germans call Weltschmerz: the painful feeling when reality fails to match the glory you have imagined.

What a mess - or, as the Germans might call it, a Kuddelmuddel.⁴ It was no surprise when Southgate decided to stand down, glumly pronouncing that "as a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to manage England".

In a spark of irony, the next manager may not be an Englishman at all. From Gary Lineker to Richard Keys, football devotees are clamouringShouting or struggling for attention. for Southgate to be replaced by none other than legendary manager Jurgen Klopp.

The Baden-Wurttemberg native is a multiple tournament-winning and universally-beloved manager. His name derives from the Middle High German "kloppe", meaning bump. He may be the one to make England's past failures seem like a mere bump in the road.

Why not have a German manager? Some say the foundation of our personalities is the same. We are two of the heaviest drinkers in the continent, both partial to a frothy pint.⁵ We have the same dry, deadpan humour. And, crucially, we are two of the most football-crazy countries in the world.⁶

Though they have had a little more to celebrate than us when it comes to the beautiful game. Germany has won three European championships, a close second to frontrunnerThe person, animal, or organisation that is most likely to win something. Spain's four, and four FIFA World Cups.

Perhaps Gary Lineker summarised it best when he said "football is a simple game - 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans always win."

By comparison, our men's football team under English managers has failed to collect many major trophies. The last English manager to win significantly was Harry Redknapp in 2008. Perhaps we could use a bit of that Deutsch courage?

But not everyone is so Klopptimistic. Brazil, France and Italy, some of the world's best footballing nations, have only ever won big with native managers. Many believe it comes down to cultural understanding: only a native manager can fully account for their national team's style of play.

But Klopp hardly failed to assimilateTo fit in with your new surroundings. during his tenureThe holding of an office or position. as Liverpool's manager. He was only the second foreign-born person to receive the freedom of the city of Liverpool, and was recently named an honorary ambassador for the Liverpool Football Club Foundation. If anyone can capture England's hearts, it is him.

And then there is the greatest argument of all for a non-native manager: Sarina Wiegman, the Dutch football manager who led England's Lionesses to a decisive win in the Women's 2022 UEFA Euro - our only ever Euro victory.

At best, we will soon be breaking out the Kloppcorn and watching England's football victories rage across Europe. At worst, England's hopes are nothing but a Luftschloss - a castle in the sky.⁷

But should the manager be English?

Yes: We need somebody who understands England's relationship with football and our highly individual style of play. We will not find that in somebody who was raised in a different culture, however similar it might be to ours.

No: Clearly, English managers are not bringing us sporting success. We need to start reaching further afield, and where better than Germany, with its history of football triumph?

Or... Football is all about bringing different cultures together and engaging in exchange. We might benefit from having an outsider's perspective.