After an incredible nine years in charge at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp has announced that he will step down from his position as Liverpool manager at the end of the current season.
The 56-year-old broke the shocking news to his fans in a poignant letter on Friday morning. He explained to liverpoolfc.com in a lengthy interview that he was just “running out of energy” and that he had already told the owners of his choice in November.
“At the end of the season, I will be leaving the club.” When you hear that for the first time, I can see that it’s shocking to many people right now, but I can certainly attempt to explain it, Klopp added.
“I like everything about this club—the players, the staff, the city, and our supporters—in addition to everything else. I adore everything. However, the fact that I am still going with this choice indicates to you how certain I am that it is the right one. It’s that, in a word, I’m becoming low on energy.
“Obviously, I knew for a longer time that I would eventually need to make an announcement, but I have no problems at all right now. I am aware that I am unable to do the task repeatedly.
“The respect and affection I had for you developed during the years we spent together, the time we spent together, and the experiences we had. The truth is the least I can do for you, and that is the truth. That’s basically it.
A message to Liverpool supporters from Jürgen Klopp. pic.twitter.com/l7rtmxgOzt
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 26, 2024
With his efficient counter-pressing style, Klopp has masterminded Liverpool’s metamorphosis into a dominating force in the Premier League, Europe, and the world since taking over at Anfield from Brendan Rodgers in October 2015.
During his time on Merseyside, Klopp has won seven titles and moulded the Reds into his own vision. He has also overseen the arrival of numerous high-profile players, including Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, and Virgil van Dijk.
In the COVID-19-affected 2019–20 season, Klopp brought the long-awaited first Premier League championship to Anfield, following his leadership of Liverpool to their sixth Champions League crown in 2019. Before that, the Reds had won the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
Liverpool was seeking a historic quadruple in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup until the last few weeks of the 2021–22 season. However, they had to settle for runner-up positions in the first two competitions while still winning a domestic cup double.
After winning the 2022 Community Shield for the seventh time in his career, Klopp—a two-time winner of the World’s Best Coach award—saw his team lose out on Champions League football for the first time since Klopp’s rookie season due to a difficult season.
Following Hansi Flick’s retirement, the former Borussia Dortmund manager—who in April 2022 secured a contract extension with Liverpool until 2026—was strongly connected to the Germany position. However, he declined the opportunity to lead his country’s national team in order to oversee the Reds’ summer reconstruction.
Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister have all joined Liverpool, who are once again vying for four titles after replacing elderly players Fabinho, James Milner, and Jordan Henderson. The Reds have had an unexpectedly spectacular start to the season.
Liverpool, who now lead the Premier League by five points, defeated Fulham 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals to proceed to the Europa League knockout round as group winners. Next month, they will play Chelsea in the EFL Cup final.
In what will be Klopp’s first game since announcing his unexpected departure, the Reds will attempt to advance to the FA Cup’s fifth round when they play Norwich City at Anfield on Sunday.
Together with Klopp, who has led the Reds to 283 victories in 466 games, the 56-year-old’s assistants Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, as well as elite development coach Vitor Matos, will also be leaving the team.
