Jurgen Klopp on the pitch

Teguan Harris

“I understand it is a shock,” Jürgen Klopp stated in an emotional video, announcing his departure from Anfield at the end of the season.

Klopp’s Departure

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp announced his departure from the Liverpool football club. Klopp informed the club’s bosses of his plans to step down in November of last year.

In an emotional video, posted by Liverpool, he said: “When we sat there together talking about potential signings, […] the thought came up, ‘I am not sure I am here then anymore’ and I was surprised, myself, by that.”

Klopp reiterated his love for Liverpool: “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 know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.”

“After the years we had together,” Klopp continued, “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 Legacy

Klopp took over from Brenden Rogers in 2015, bringing with him an esteemed reputation at Borussia Dortmund. His leadership won Dortmund back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012.

Klopp guided Liverpool to their sixth European Cup in 2019 after defeating Tottenham in the Champions League final in Madrid. His leadership and management won them victory in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

“I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool.”

Under Klopp’s leadership, Liverpool won six trophies, including the Champions League and the Premier League titles in 2019 and 2020. He is the only Liverpool manager to win the league title, European Cup, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup with the Liverpool team.

Klopp signed a two-year extension to his contract at Anfield in April 2022 until 2026.

He has ruled out coaching another England team.

“If you ask me, ‘Will you ever work as a manager again?’ I would say no. But I do not know, obviously, how that will feel because I never had that situation. What I know definitely: I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool.”

Liverpool 2023/24 Season

“It was all I was thinking about.”

Liverpool currently leads the Premier League and has reached the Carabao Cup final after beating Fulham last Wednesday. They are still in the Europa League and the FA Cup.

The Reds failed to win significant trophies last season. Given the struggles that they faced, Klopp admitted that he may not have lasted at another club.

“For me, it was super, super, super important that I can help to bring this team back on the rails,” he said. “When I realised pretty early that happened — it is a really good team with massive potential, a super age group, super characters and all that — then I could start thinking about myself again.”

The Future of Liverpool FC

The president of Fenway Sports Group, Mike Gordon, expressed his gratitude for Klopp’s management: “First and foremost, on behalf of John Henry and Tom Werner, I would like to state our profound appreciation for Jürgen,” he said. “We will be hugely saddened to lose not just a manager of such calibre but a person and leader for whom we have enormous respect, gratitude, and affection.

“At the same time, we fully respect his wishes and the reasons why he has decided the current season will be his last at Liverpool.”

Speaking on Liverpool’s successes, Klopp said: “We will have a moment, maybe the last matchday here or somewhere else, I mean in other countries or other competitions. There is enough time to do these kind of things. Let’s now really go for it. The outside world want to use this decision, laugh about it, want to disturb us.”

“We are Liverpool; we went through harder things together. And you went through harder things before me. Let’s make a strength of it. That would be really cool. Let’s squeeze everything out of this season and have another thing to smile about when we look back in the future.”

Former Liverpool midfielder and current Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is the early frontrunner to replace Klopp.

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Featured image courtesy of via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image licence found here.

Writer and journalist. University graduate in English Literature. Book reader, word lover and Notion enthusiast.

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