Inside the day Jurgen Klopp rocked football by telling Liverpool stars he'd quit
It was at 10.36am when Liverpool shook.
Jurgen Klopp would later joke about how only earthquakes could bring down the two newest stands which club owners FSG have funded at Anfield. But the red half of Merseyside was still feeling like they were on unsteady ground after the seismic announcement on the club’s X page earlier in the day.
A simple video and a simple message. Yet with huge ramifications. The end of Klopp’s stunning reign will come this summer. Not since Kenny Dalglish quit in 1991 has there been such a surprise around the manager’s position at Liverpool.
It also brought back memories for those old enough to remember Bill Shankly’s sudden retirement in 1974. The instant nature of technology now means news travels much faster these days and phones buzzed and pinged all over not only Merseyside, but the world within seconds.
As fans around the globe were taking in the news, Klopp had just finished telling his players about his decision. There was obvious surprise but little feedback. They soaked up the information. A couple took the time to speak personally afterwards but it was back to business soon enough.
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Liverpool’s players went out and trained. Klopp had made it clear that it was business as usual until the end of May. Norwich await in the FA Cup on Sunday and he is clear he doesn’t want it to be one big long goodbye. That’s how it has been for Klopp since he made the decision in November. It’s been about getting on with the job in hand.
Jurgen Klopp had a smile on his face during Liverpool training on Friday morning (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)The German can’t pinpoint the actual moment he thought ‘that’s it’ but he admitted the thoughts began to emerge when preparing pre-season plans. “That was the first moment so we still planned it, in the most sensible way but that was the moment I first thought it,” said the 56-year-old.
There have been reasons. He believes his energy levels are low. Last season’s tumultuous campaign was, as he called it, ‘a dog year’ and the one after their Premier League triumph in 2020 similarly arduous. So while the stats may read almost nine years in charge when Klopp departs this summer, it will have felt like almost 21 to him apparently.
There is also a feeling that if last season had been easier and more successful then Klopp may have had the energy to continue until his contract expires in 2026. But constantly explaining defeats without criticising players and then having to rethink and rebuild a midfield which was ageing fast had taken its toll, too.
Klopp quipped about how fresh faced he was when he arrived in October 2015 compared to the man who sat in front of the media at Kirkby training ground to elaborate on his decision. There’s no doubt being the figurehead for a club the size of Liverpool is mentally draining given the demands of the modern game.
It’s not just coaching players and picking teams, it is planning, plotting, signings, interviews, commercial appearances and much more. Yet even with all that, he has got the club back on track quickly this season and he feels this squad is ready to prosper without him.
If their resurgence had been slower then he may also have hung around for longer. He wanted to leave the team and club in the right place. A better place than he found it. As he promised in 2015.
It seems like everything has come together for Klopp to believe now is the right time.
Jurgen Klopp explained his decision to the media at a press conference on Friday afternoon (LFC)When he made the call to FSG president Mike Gordon back in November, he went through his reasoning. The voice at the other end of the phone in Boston queried the chances of changing his mind.
The response was blunt yet polite. There was no going back. Liverpool would need to find a replacement next summer. Klopp and the club’s owners managed to keep it a secret for two months. No whispers or leaks. But, as CEO Billy Hogan alluded to, now the process to find his successor is set to be ramped up, this is when information can sneak out as phone calls and meetings are arranged.
So that is why it was decided that this day, Friday, January 26 2024, would be the one to break the hearts of Liverpool fans who have adored the man who has brought them back to the top of English and European football. Klopp wants a line drawn underneath it for now. He wants the goodbyes to be on hold until May 19 at Anfield for their final Premier League game against Wolves, three days later in Dublin for the Europa League final or May 25 at Wembley for an FA Cup decider.
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Jurgen Klopp will depart Liverpool at the end of the season (Getty Images)He may struggle to get his way on that given the outpouring of love expected at Anfield on Sunday for what was due to be a rather routine fourth-round FA Cup tie, but is now the beginning of the end of Klopp’s time in Liverpool.
No doubt the fans will have the famous ground rattling with noise come 2.30pm. The aftershock from the tremors of Friday will still be lingering, too.
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