SUMMARY
- Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool after the 23/24 season.
- The German brought back Liverpool's long-lost glory.
Jurgen Klopp has had a memorable career at Liverpool. The German joined the Merseyside club in 2015 and has since revolutionized the club. The 56-year-old is a very celebrated figure in the city of Liverpool and is a fan favorite amongst the club’s loyal fanbase. A serial winner, ‘The Reds’ won two Carabao Cups, a UEFA Champions League, and a Premier League title.
Here’s that great Jurgen Klopp song again. #Klopp #LFC #YNWA pic.twitter.com/RPPaoYh8x2
— “YNWA” The Story of Liverpool FC (@LFCHistoryShow) February 21, 2024
But like every other good thing, the era of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool is soon coming to an end. The German had announced in January 2024 that he would leave the club at the end of the 23/24 season.
Jurgen Klopp wants time away from soccer
The German has given eight precious years of his life to Liverpool, which saw him enjoy some unforgettable moments. But Jurgen Klopp has apparently realized that his time at the club must come to an end soon. Jurgen has given everything to ‘The Reds’ and has nothing else left to do at Liverpool. Therefore, he has decided to leave Liverpool along with his entire coaching staff.
Even when he announced his departure, the German manager did not forget to showcase his love for the club. 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.”
Jurgen Klopp doesn’t hold any grudges towards the club and has informed the soccer world that he is leaving Liverpool only because the German feels he doesn’t have the energy to coach the club anymore. Jurgen said, “It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy.”
The former Borussia Dortmund manager has declared that he won’t be jumping to management so quickly and is likely to go on a sabbatical. Jurgen Klopp is also willing to make sure that he doesn’t manage any English club again except Liverpool.
Before Klopp, Liverpool went 30 years without winning the league
What makes the German manager so special is the way he has overachieved at Liverpool. The Merseyside club wasn’t the European giant that it once was when Jurgen Klopp arrived.
In 2015, ‘The Reds’ were fighting mid-table mediocrity, and a UEFA Europa League spot looked like a blessing. The overall atmosphere around the club seemed very depressing, with fans losing hope in some expensive yet underperforming players.
Jurgen Klopp, however, changed their entire scenario. The German had asked the Liverpool fans to give him and his team some time to adapt but also promised that he would soon deliver success.
Jürgen Klopp reaches 200 Premier League wins in just 318 games.
Only Pep Guardiola (269 games) has reached the milestone faster ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/JXHprWlQmm
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 31, 2024
And he did exactly that by infusing a winning mentality inside Liverpool. He made some smart signings at a reasonable price and systematically got rid of all the deadwood. He transformed relatively unknown players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Andy Robertson, etc. into world-class players.
Jurgen Klopp also nurtured young talents such as Trent Alexander Arnold, Harvey Elliot, Curtis Jones, Conor Bradley, etc. into some of the best players in their positions. As promised, the Germans soon started delivering silverware.
The German’s first trophy at the club was a fairly monumental one when ‘The Reds’ won the UEFA Champions League 2018/19 title. Jurgen Klopp’s biggest achievement as a Liverpool manager came in the next season, when the club lifted the Premier League title in a fairly one-sided manner. With that PL title, Liverpool ended their 30-year-old wait for England’s first-division glory.
🏆 Champions League
🏆 Premier League
🏆 FA Cup
🏆 League Cup
🏆 Community Shield
🏆 Super Cup
🏆 Club World CupJürgen Klopp won everything at Liverpool ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vVhtNq9YjO
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 26, 2024
However, Jurgen Klopp’s greatness at Liverpool cannot be surmised by merely counting the trophies he won. It was his true passion and love for ‘The Reds’ that secured legendary status at the club.
Many Liverpool fans will concur that Jurgen Klopp was more like a parent to them than a normal manager. A lot of them have grown up idolizing the values that the German manager is known for and will dearly miss their beloved manager when he departs the club in the summer of 2024.
Things Liverpool can learn from Manchester United’s downfall
The Merseyside club finds itself in a very similar situation to their bitter rivals, Manchester United. In 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United after 27 glorious years. What unfolded afterward would be a nightmare for every United fan. The club has had a disastrous post-Fergie era, which has seen them not win a single Premier League title.
Aside from the titles, there is a sense of mismanagement in every aspect of the club. There is an increased backlash against the owners, constant reshuffling of coaches, no proper transfer policy, and numerous overly-paid average players.
Liverpool would be hoping not to go on the Manchester United route and would have to make sure they get everything right, which Man Utd didn’t. For starters, Liverpool must give an ample amount of time and backing to whoever succeeds Jurgen Klopp.
Marouane Fellaini on David Moyes: “For me, it was the worst [season] in my career, my first year in Manchester. After that season, it was much better.
“I would never criticise David Moyes because he gave me my chance in England: I played under him nearly every game at Everton.” pic.twitter.com/jCOtiYzxnl
— Hammers Hub (@HammersHubWHUFC) March 27, 2024
Manchester United were very hurried with their approach towards David Moyes. The Englishman had never experienced managing a trophy-chasing club like Man Utd, having previously spent 11 years at Everton. Surely it was a big step up for David, going from a mid-table club to Manchester United.
However, David Moyes wasn’t given the proper funding to build his team. Moyes had a huge task of restructuring the team, but his first transfer window was rather shocking. Despite the plethora of names that were linked with the club, Manchester United could sign only one player, Marouane Fellaini.
The poor transfer window soon came back to haunt the club, as Manchester United made a terrible start to the 13/14 season. David Moyes had to leave United mid-season, and club legend Ryan Giggs took over as interim manager.
Even after David Moyes, several coaches arrived at Old Trafford who wasn’t given the time and support to build a title-winning team. Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer had all fallen prey to ‘The Red Devils’
Liverpool must be cautious so that it does not repeat these same mistakes. The Merseyside club has, however, already started doing one thing that Manchester United regrets not doing after Sir Alex Ferguson left. One of the prime reasons why ‘The Red Devils’ fell off its throne was also because of the departure of David Gill, who was the CEO of the club until 2013.
The Englishman had perfected the art of running soccer operations at Manchester United and took the club to new heights. However, once he left the club, no board member could deliver similar success as Gill.
Liverpool, on the other hand, has already started preparing for the post-Klopp era. It has already signed one of its long-term targets for the CEO position.
‘The Reds’ have shown in the past that they are a very well-run club that is free of any discrepancies, unlike Manchester United. The club would be hoping for the same to make the transition into a Jurgen Klopp-less era a smooth one.