Burkina Faso
Chinese Taipei
Czech Republic
Indonesia
Nigeria

Liverpool

sportsmole.co.uk, 26 January 2024, 10:41
Jurgen Klopp has announced that he will step down from his position as Liverpool boss at the end of the season after a glittering nine-year spell at the Anfield helm.

The 56-year-old revealed the bombshell news in a heartfelt message to supporters on Friday morning, telling liverpoolfc.com in an extended interview that he was simply "running out of energy" and had informed the owners of his decision back in November.

"I will leave the club at the end of the season. I can understand that that'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," Klopp 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. That's it, pretty much."

Klopp took control of the Anfield reins from Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, since when he has masterminded Liverpool's transformation into a dominant force in the Premier League, European and global landscape with his effective counter-pressing style.

Moulding the Reds into his own vision, Klopp has overseen the arrival of several high-profile transfers, namely Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, and winning a total of seven trophies during his Merseyside stint.

After guiding Liverpool to their sixth Champions League crown in 2019, Klopp delivered a long-awaited first Premier League title to Anfield in the COVID-19-affected 2019-20 season, prior to which the Reds also became UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup champions.

Up until the final few weeks of the 2021-22 season, Liverpool were chasing an unprecedented quadruple in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup, although they were forced to accept runners-up finishes in the former two tournaments while completing a domestic cup double.

Klopp - a two-time World's Best Coach winner - won his seventh and most recent Liverpool honour in the 2022 Community Shield, after which a challenging campaign for Liverpool saw them miss out on Champions League football for the first time since Klopp's debut year.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss - who signed a contract extension with Liverpool until 2026 in April 2022 - was heavily linked with the Germany job after Hansi Flick's departure, but he turned down the chance to manage his national team to supervise the Reds' summer rebuild.

Following the arrivals of Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister to replace the ageing Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner, Liverpool have made an unforeseen exceptional start to the season and are once again chasing a quartet of honours.

Sitting five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, Liverpool also advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League as group winners and will face Chelsea in next month's EFL Cup final thanks to a 3-2 aggregate semi-final win over Fulham.

The Reds will bid to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup in Sunday's clash with Norwich City at Anfield, in what will be Klopp's first game since the announcement of his shock resignation.

As well as Klopp - who boasts 283 wins from 466 matches in charge of the Reds - the 56-year-old's assistants Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz will also leave the club, as will elite development coach Vitor Matos.

Top News

28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pendikspor vs. Kayserispor (Sunday, 2.00pm) Both Pendikspor and Kayserispor will be looking to boost their survival hopes when they meet at Pendik Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Portimonense vs. Moreirense (Sunday, 3.30pm) The action continues in round 31 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga as Portimonense and Moreirense go head-to-head at the Estadio Municipal de Portimao on Sunday. 28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Nijmegen vs. AZ (Sunday, 11.15am) Off the back of a first defeat in five matches last time out, NEC entertain the challenge of AZ Alkmaar at Stadion de Goffert on Sunday afternoon. 28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Cadiz vs. Mallorca (Sunday, 1.00pm) Nuevo Mirandilla will play host to a huge La Liga clash on Sunday afternoon, with two clubs battling to stay in Spain's top flight, Cadiz and Mallorca, locking horns. 28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Inter Milan vs. Torino (Sunday, 11.30am) Crowned Serie A champions with five games to spare, Inter Milan will continue their title celebrations on Sunday, when mid-table Torino visit San Siro. 28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Metz vs. Lille (Sunday, 12.00pm) Looking to extend their winning run in the top flight to three matches, Metz will welcome Champions League-chasing Lille to Stade Saint-Symphorien on Sunday afternoon in Ligue 1. 28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk St Mirren vs. Rangers (Sunday, 12.30pm) The second phase of the Scottish Premiership will kickstart this weekend with St Mirren hosting Rangers. 28 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Spurs vs. Arsenal (Sunday, 2.00pm) Looking to take the next step towards their first Premier League title in two decades, Arsenal will make the short trip across the capital to face fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby on Sunday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have apparently been handed a significant boost in their hopes of signing Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, who would welcome a switch to Old Trafford. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal reportedly hope to bring three or four new statement signings to the club this summer as part of another lavish spending spree. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka will be bidding to emulate an achievement last managed by Ian Wright when the Gunners tackle Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's Premier League North London derby. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea saw a last-gasp winner ruled out but nevertheless completed an impressive comeback to hold Aston Villa to a 2-2 Premier League draw at Villa Park. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both Estrela Amadora and SC Farense will be looking to open up some daylight between themselves and the Primeira Liga relegation zone when they face off on Monday night. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth will attempt to equal a club record when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Vitality Stadium for Sunday's Premier League contest. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Round 34 of the 2023-24 Turkish Super Lig concludes on Monday evening as Fatih Karagumruk host Antalyaspor at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Premier League ever-presents Everton can look forward to another campaign in the big time thanks to a 1-0 win over Brentford at Goodison Park. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have made three changes for Saturday's Premier League fixture at Aston Villa. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim has apologised to Sporting Lisbon supporters after admitting that the timing and publicity of his talks in London with West Ham United were "completely wrong". 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona reportedly hope to ward off Manchester United interest in one of their star defenders by offering him a lucrative contract renewal. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United have set a new Premier League scoring record after coming from behind to beat Sheffield United 5-1 at St James' Park on Saturday. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly running out of patience with one of their first-team attackers as their Premier League title fight ends with a whimper. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah made a cryptic "fire" comment after his touchline row with Jurgen Klopp in the Reds' 2-2 draw with West Ham United. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are prepared to part ways with four home-grown players this summer in order to retain Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain-linked defender Levi Colwill, according to a report. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City will be looking to strengthen their Premier League title when they face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are leading the race ahead of both Manchester City and Manchester United to sign Brighton & Hove Albion attacker Kaoru Mitoma this summer, according to a report. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United manager David Moyes has insisted that his side did not specifically target any aerial weaknesses in Liverpool's defence during their 2-2 draw at the London Stadium this afternoon. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Rather than a glorious send-off for one of their greatest-ever managers, the story of Jurgen Klopp's final season as Liverpool boss is fast turning into what might have been. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Jarrod Bowen has followed in the footsteps of Geoff Hurst and Paolo Di Canio after scoring in West Ham United's 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. 27 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's Premier League title chances effectively crashed and burned in a 2-2 draw with West Ham United at the London Stadium, where Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah were seen engaging in a touchline spat in the second half.