27 January 2024 , 22:35
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Jurgen Klopp has long promised he will take a year off when his Liverpool reign ends... and that stance may see him snub the Germany job again.
The Reds boss announced on Friday that he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season after a hugely successful nine-year reign. In just shy of a decade, Klopp won Liverpool's first league title in thirty years, as well as a Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Club World Cup.
Widely viewed as one of the best managers on the planet, his country have already made their desire to make him Die Mannschaft's next manager clear, with German football federation (DFB) vice-president Ronny Zimmermann admitting to Mirror Football that Klopp is a target to take over after Julian Nagelsmann.
With Nagelsmann's contract set to expire after Euro 2024, the idea of Klopp taking charge at the end of the summer is certainly an attractive one to those at the top of the DFB.
"I don’t think we need to talk about the fact that Jurgen Klopp is a brilliant coach," Zimmermann explained. "We also don’t have to talk about the fact that he could also be a candidate for national coach.
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"But the time for making wishes like these was Christmas. After the European Championships we will talk about the national coach and not about what we might wish for. But I could well live with Jurgen Klopp, like many others I think."
However, the man himself may not see it the same way.
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Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season and has been linked with the Germany national team job (Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Speaking on Friday, he insisted: "No club, no country for the next year. No other English club ever. Even if I have nothing to eat, it will not happen."
And, back in 2019, he revealed to Kicker : "I have one problem. I can't do 'a little bit'. I can only do 'all or nothing'. When I decide that I cannot do it any longer then I will take a break for a year."
That is what he, a man who has spent only three months out of work since starting his playing career in 1990, has decided now.
During the video announcing his eventual exit, the 56-year-old conceded he is "running out of energy." And despite Zimmerman's comments, Klopp's stance on his own workload would suggest he is likely to stick to his word and have at least a year off before potentially getting back in the game.
Germany chiefs contacted Klopp last year when Hansi Flick was sacked, to ask about his availability; then, he had no interest in walking out on Liverpool to take over, nor to job-share, despite being the dream candidate for many Germans.
But if Germany again stutter on home soil this summer and come calling for 'Kloppo' to get them back on track, it may be a call he cannot help but answer.