Jurgen Klopp has announced, in a stunning revelation at Anfield, that he is to walk away from his role as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.
The German tactician took the Reds’ reins in October 2015, as he was appointed as successor to Brendan Rodgers. He has overseen Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs during his time on Merseyside.
Klopp has now revealed that he will be stepping down at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, telling Liverpool’s official website: “I can understand that it’s a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it. I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take.
“It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again. After the years we had together and after all the time we spent together and after all the things we went through together, the respect grew for you, the love grew for you and the least I owe you is the truth – and that is the truth.”
Klopp’s contract was due to run until the summer of 2026, but he added on informing the Reds of his decision to move on: “I told the club already in November. I have to explain a little bit that maybe the job I do people see from the outside, I’m on the touchline and in training sessions and stuff like this, but the majority of all the things happen around these kind of things. That means a season starts and you plan pretty much the next season already. When we sat there together talking about potential signings, the next summer camp and can we go wherever, the thought came up, ‘I am not sure I am here then anymore’ and I was surprised myself by that. I obviously start thinking about it.
“It didn’t start [then], but of course last season was kind of a super-difficult season and there were moments when at other clubs probably the decision would have been, ‘Come on, thank you very much for everything but probably we should split here, or end it here.’ That didn’t happen here, obviously. For me it was super, super, super-important that I can help to bring this team back onto the rails. It was all I was thinking about. When I realised pretty early that happened, it’s a really good team with massive potential and a super age group, super characters and all that, then I could start thinking about myself again and that was the outcome. It is not what I want to [do], it is just what I think is 100 per cent right.”
Klopp has taken in over 460 games as Liverpool boss and boasts a win ratio of 60.7 per cent. He is assured of a standing alongside the likes of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley when it comes to managerial greats at Anfield and could bow out with more medals to his name as Liverpool’s class of 2024 remain in the hunt for Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League honours
