Liverpool [UK], January 26 (ANI): Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has decided to step down from his role at the end of the ongoing 2023/24 season.
Klopp arrived at Anfield in 2015, changed the club’s fortune and established one of the best sporting rivalries with Manchester City.
He confirmed his decision to Liverpoolfc.com, stated the reason behind his decision and emphasized the need for clarity in order to create the conditions for the new transition to take place in due course.
“I can understand that it’s a shock for a lot of people at this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it,” Klopp said in a video posted by Liverpool on social media.
“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,” Klopp said.
“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 added.
Klopp’s reign brought about a revolution for the Reds in the Premier League, as they lifted the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup, as well as the FA Community Shield.
Their Premier League success in 2019-20 certainly stood out as Liverpool clinched the coveted trophy for the first time in 30 years.
Klopp stated that he had already informed the club about his decision in November and said, “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,” Klopp added.
“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 stated. (ANI)
