An era is coming to an end: Jürgen Klopp will step down as coach of Liverpool FC after this season. He announced a longer break.
Klopp, whose contract in Liverpool actually runs until 2026, announced his decision on Friday (January 26, 2024). Klopp said he had already communicated them to the club in November. He has been coach of Liverpool FC since 2015 and led the club to its first English championship in 30 years in 2020. “My resources are not endless,” Klopp said at a club press conference.
“I prefer to pack everything into this season.” Liverpool are currently top of the Premier League, still playing in the FA Cup, in the final of the League Cup against Chelsea and have reached the round of 16 of the Europa League.
The future? “No club, no country for next year”
He left it open as to what would happen next for him. “I don’t know what will happen in the future,” said Klopp. The fact that Klopp is no longer tied from 2024 led to speculation as to whether he could take over the German national team after Euro 2024. National coach Julian Nagelsmann’s contract runs until the end of the tournament.
But Klopp said he would not take on a coaching job in football after the end of the season. “No club, no country for next year,” said Klopp. In July he said that the job as national coach would basically be “a great honor”.
He also ruled out ever coaching another English club. “I can promise that, even if I don’t have anything to eat anymore,” said Klopp.
Klopp: “I have no energy left”
Klopp first made his comments in a video distributed by the club on social networks. “I can understand that this is a shock for many people at this moment, but I can explain it. I love everything about this club, this city, our fans, the team, the staff, everything. But I had to Make a decision, I’m convinced of that. I have no energy left. I’m fine, but I can’t keep doing this job over and over again.”
In eight and a half years, Klopp led the “Reds” to the English championship title for the first time since 1990 in the 2019/20 season. A year earlier, Liverpool had already become Champions League winners under his leadership, and the club also became Club World Champions, Super Cup winners and national cup winners during his tenure. Klopp himself was named world coach in 2019 and 2020.
With Klopp, his assistant coaches will also be leaving Liverpool FC. Former Bundesliga manager Jörg Schmadtke is ending his time in Liverpool after the winter transfer window, where he was most recently sporting director.
“The Normal One”
“For me, Liverpool FC is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I am very proud to be here. For me it is the perfect moment to be here,” said Klopp at his introduction on October 9, 2015. After he After turning the traditional club back into a successful club, which is currently at the top of the Premier League table, he has now apparently found the perfect moment for himself to end his time in Liverpool again.
As “The Normal One”, as he described himself at his first press conference, Klopp crowned his already successful coaching career. Previously, he had become German champion twice with Borussia Dortmund in seven years (2008-2015) and led Mainz 05 into the Bundesliga for the first time in his first coaching position (2001-2008). The former defender ended his playing career there in 2001.
Tuchel has to “first digest” the news
“That’s a great news. I have to digest it first. I can understand that. I’ll have to get used to it for a while. Kloppo is one of the very best coaches in the world. He has a special way with the clubs at all his stations and manner,” said Thomas Tuchel, who, like Klopp, began his coaching career in Mainz and succeeded the Liverpool player there as well as in Dortmund.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, who is still friends with Klopp after their successful time together at BVB, paid “great respect for this decision,” which would show “that Jürgen is exceptional.” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic praised him as an “outstanding person”. And he continued: “He has shaped our club and Liverpool like no other. I am sure that there will be another station in his coaching life where he will do a similarly good job.”
Back on the road to success, but with great stress
After a disappointing last season in which Klopp missed the Champions League for the first time since his first season in fifth place, he led Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League and has a chance of reaching all three possible cup finals. In the Carabao Cup there will be the final against Chelsea FC on February 25th, in the FA Cup the fourth round against Norwich City will take place on Sunday (January 28th, 2024) and in the Europa League the “Reds” are in the group phase after their victory in the round of 16.
The many chances of success are also the result of a high level of stress, which Klopp has been criticizing for years. The current coach is also currently plagued by major injury concerns. “We’ve had to deal with various issues and a lot of injuries throughout the season, that’s just not good. You have to work with it and so far we’ve gotten through everything,” said “Kloppo” on Thursday in the press conference for the game against Norwich. “But now we’re really on the edge, nothing can happen anymore. We still have the same number of games left, we’re playing all the time now.” But for Klopp it is the last time that he will struggle through the final months of a season as Liverpool coach.
Christoph Prössl, Sportschau, January 26, 2024 3:31 p.m