By PA Sport Staff
Jürgen Klopp will stand down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.
The 56-year-old has informed the club’s ownership of his decision to stand down, having taken charge at Liverpool in 2015.
Klopp has won six major trophies with the Reds, including the Premier League title in 2020 and the Champions League trophy the year before.
A message to Liverpool supporters from Jürgen Klopp. pic.twitter.com/l7rtmxgOzt
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 26, 2024
“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”, he said.
“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 was appointed Liverpool manager in succession to Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, having forged his reputation at Borussia Dortmund.
Under him, Dortmund won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 and he took them to the 2013 Champions League final, where they lost to Bayern Munich at Wembley.
Since moving to Anfield Klopp has won the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
Klopp said he had told the club’s bosses about his intention to stand down back in November last year.
“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,” he told the club’s website.
“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.”
Klopp also admitted that given the Reds’ struggles last season, he may not have lasted the campaign at another club.
“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,” he 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 said he expected supporters of other clubs would use his departure as an excuse to “laugh at” and “disturb” Liverpool, but called on everyone connected to the club to push for a glorious finale to the season.
“Let’s now really go for it. The outside world want to use this decision, laugh about it, want to disturb us,” he said.
“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 defender Jamie Carragher hopes Klopp can “go out with a bang” at the end of the season.
Carragher, who made 737 appearances for the Reds, posted on X, formerly Twitter: “This news was always going to be a body blow to the club whenever it came.
This news was always going to be a body blow to the club whenever it came.
I just thought it would be another few years away.
What a manager, what a man, let’s go out with a bang Jurgen! https://t.co/ajw372IEWX— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) January 26, 2024
“I just thought it would be another few years away. What a manager, what a man, let’s go out with a bang Jurgen!”
Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton said Klopp’s Anfield achievements were “phenomenal”.
“There was no sign whatsoever that he was going to make the decision that he’s made and obviously, it’s absolutely huge. What he’s done for this club and his time being in charge, nothing short of phenomenal,” Houghton told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“To get them back winning the league, getting them to major finals, getting that pride back in the football club, the joy of playing for Liverpool. It’s been absolutely incredible and the football they’ve played has been a joy to watch. It’s going to be one hell of a pair of shoes to fill.”
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded Klopp when he left Dortmund ahead of joining Liverpool, said he was still trying to “process” the news when he was asked about it at his pre-match press conference on Friday, but added: “Kloppo is one of the best coaches of all time. He’s always managed to influence an entire club at all his clubs. It’s huge news.”
