BERLIN, June 26 (Reuters) - Bayer Leverkusen coach Christoph Daum has agreed to become Germany's new trainer in a plan which would also leave him in charge of his club until his contract expires next season, a German newspaper said on Monday.

Citing reliable sources, the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung said Daum, the favourite to rescue Germany after a humiliating exit from Euro 2000, had sealed the deal with Leverkusen manager Reiner Calmund at a meeting in Mallorca, where he is on holiday.

The German Football Federation (DFB) has been holding crisis talks on finding a replacement for Erich Ribbeck, who quit after the defending European champions failed to win a single game in their worst major tournament performance since World War Two.

But no announcement on a successor is expected before the end of Euro 2000 this weekend, DFB vice-president Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder said.

However, a deal with Leverkusen would remove the obstacle which had until now prevented Daum from running to succeed Ribbeck.

Daum, 46-year-old 'master motivator', took Leverkusen tantalisingly close to the German league title this year.

Franz Beckenbauer, the most respected figure in German football, said on Monday he had dropped his reservations to the so-called 'half-Daum' solution, under which the trainer would hold two jobs until taking July 2001, when he would exclusively coach the national team.