26 January 2024 , 15:10
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Outspoken TalkSport co-host Simon Jordan believes 'something else is going on' behind the scenes to have prompted Jurgen Klopp's shock announcement that he will depart Liverpool.
The popular German boss has stunned his adoring supporters on Merseyside by revealing his intentions to step down at the end of the season. During his illustrious spell at Anfield, the 56-year-old transformed the club's fortunes - delivering a first Premier League title in 30 years, alongside Champions League triumph.
After landing six pieces of major silverware and securing his place in Kop folklore alongside Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, his ninth season in England will be his last, however. Now, former Premier League club chairman Jordan has now admitted that he is 'struggling' to understand Klopp's stunning call.
Addressing the decision to announce his impending departure at this point in the campaign, while the Reds are still fighting on four fronts, especially left the TalkSport figure baffled. Putting forward his argument, he started: "This is a man who's known he's leaving since November.
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"Of course the motion now comes to the surface but not withstanding that he made a decision back in November that Liverpool have managed to keep under wraps, control the process, and (he) has made the decision today. But he's talking about not necessarily going back into football," Jordan said.
The former Crystal Palace chief appeared to be reading between the lines of Klopp's statement on his planned resignation, especially when it comes to Klopp's summation of what he will do next. Speaking on whether he will eventually return to the game following a break, the German insisted he will not take a job in England.
Klopp said: "I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent. That’s not possible," before going on to add: "I will find something else maybe to do. But I will not manage a club or a country at least for a year, that’s not possible, I cannot do that and I don’t want to."
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Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season (James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)Jordan then detailed what he felt were the reasons behind Klopp's stunning call to leave Anfield, despite having two years left to run on his current contract. In an eye-opening claim, he said: "Now the economics of football managers' jobs makes those decisions much easier than before.
"But here's a man who is 56 years of age, that's the sheer embodiment of everything that's forceful, energetic and direct about football. He sort of brings the vitality of the personality and the strength of character he has into almost every single conversation.
"A little bit less last year, like Phil Thompson was suggesting, he looked like a tired man. His team looked like a tired side. When you start hearing a manager, with those types of characteristics and those kind of credentials, talk about not necessarily thinking about not managing again, needing another thing in life, needing to be a normal person in life, it takes me to a place that something else is going on here.
Jurgen Klopp's time at Liverpool is coming to an end at the close of the 2023-24 campaign (PA)Presenting his case further, the TalkSport analyst then speculated that there could be other reasons at play when it comes to Klopp decision. He continued: "There's something else happening in the background. And I hope it's not something sinister. When you look at people's lives, when you look at the directions they change in and the circumstances that happen.
"A year ago he attributes one of the reasons why he signed a new contract to Liverpool to his wife. And her support and direction suggested that signing a contract with Liverpool was something they should be doing.
"And I do hope that it is simply that he has run his course. And as much as the Liverpool fans, the emotional Liverpool fans - the ones who live and breathe the football club vicariously through Jurgen Klopp and will find this difficult to comprehend - Liverpool is a good football club and has been through difficult periods and will again.
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"I personally find it difficult to process," Jordan added, with his surprise at the news plain to see. "For a manger of this stature, with this personality type, this outlook, to tell you he might not potentially go to the well again at the end of this season, that he can't go to the well again full stop, and that he wants to lead a normal life...I wonder if there are other things (at play), something personal in his life that has made this decision."