Why Jurgen Klopp is leaving Liverpool after new theory emerged – and what is next for boss

Jurgen Klopp rocked the footballing world when he announced in January that this would be his final season as Liverpool boss.

Talk immediately turned to what’s next for Klopp, for Liverpool, and, of course, what inspired the German to drop this bombshell news during such a positive time in the club’s history.

Klopp did his best to explain in a long statement to the fans, and the short answer is the 56-year-old is tired. After nine years working one of the most demanding jobs in sport, the manager no longer feels he can operate with the necessary energy required.

He said in January: “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. 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 added: “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.”

A report emerged in The Telegraph shortly after Klopp’s announcement suggesting a second reason – alongside him being tired – was behind the German’s decision to stand down.

The report claimed that Klopp, who oversaw a transition in the summer following a slightly disappointing season for the Reds, was waiting for things to return to normal before handing over the reins.

It adds that Klopp was surprised by how quickly his new signings hit the ground running, with Liverpool back in the mix for the title this season, and so decided now is the right time to fly the nest.

He alluded to this in his leaving statement, saying: “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.

“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.”

So what’s next for one of the world’s best managers? Well, according to Klopp, nothing. The German made it clear he has no plans for an immediate return to football – and that’s despite Bayern Munich and Barcelona being in the market for a new boss.

Should Klopp return to management at some point, it won’t be to the Premier League. He told the press shortly after his exit announcement: “If you ask me, ‘Will you ever work as a manager again?’ I would say now no.

“But I don’t know obviously how that will feel because I never had the situation. What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool.”

Klopp previously turned down the Germany job, with Julian Nagelsmann eventually being selected to lead the team for Euro 2024. It has been suggested, though, that Klopp could wait for the role to become available again ahead of the 2026 World Cup.