Much-loved manager to leave Liverpool at the end of the season
In news it seems no one was expecting, Jurgen Klopp is to leave Liverpool FC at the end of the season.
The much-loved manager, responsible for the club's greatest period of success since the glory days of the 1980s, said that sadly he is 'running out of energy'.
Since succeeding Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, the German took Liverpool from a team shattered by their failure to beat Manchester City to the title in 2014 and turned them into eventual champions during 2020's pandemic-wracked season.
Under the former Borussia Dortmund manager, Liverpool have lifted the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup, as well as the FA Community Shield.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, he said: “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.”
With a place already booked in February's League Cup final following Wednesday night's defeat of Fulham, Klopp said he hopes to give the club 'another thing to smile about' when they look back on their departed leader in years to come.
He said: “We will have a moment, maybe the last matchday here or somewhere else – I mean in other countries or other competitions. There’s enough time to do these kinds of things. Let’s now really go for it. The outside world want to use this decision, laugh about it, want to disturb us.
“We are Liverpool, we went through harder things together. And you went through harder things before me. Let’s make a strength of it. That would be really cool. Let’s squeeze everything out of this season and have another thing to smile about when we look back in the future.”
Now there's just the small matter of completing a season where the possibility of a domestic treble and Europa League title still remains.
Then is the much bigger matter of replacing the man that took Liverpool back to something resembling their glory days.
