It’s not something Liverpool fans want to think about, and for the time being, at least, it’s not going to be a concern.
But Jurgen Klopp has quite openly discussed his future in the press, pointing out that the days of someone like Sir Alex Ferguson managing for 26 years are long gone and that at some point in the future, he will be passing on the baton at Anfield.
The German has made clear when he intends to leave Liverpool, revealed the parts of the job he doesn’t like and has even discussed what he plans to do in the future both in football and in life in general.
Here we look at everything Klopp has said about leaving Liverpool, reveal what role a special clause in his contract will play, and look at his most likely replacement.
His plans to leave
As aforementioned, Klopp has spoken openly about his plans for the future and got the ball rolling as far back as 2019 when he suggested he was feeling the strain of the job and dropped the first hint that a sabbatical was on the cards.
Speaking to Kicker magazine, the German said: “I have absolute energy. But 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.”
His comments caused no alarm bells to ring, but the sentiment became something of a theme when he was asked to discuss his future from there on. Klopp got bolder with his admissions, telling SWR Sport in July 2020 that he has plans to move back to Germany when he leaves Liverpool.
“Definitely to live, after my career. Most likely even to Mainz,” he explained, adding he’d spend “four [more] years in Liverpool,” before heading home. Back in Germany, he explained he’d “do nothing for a year,” but may consider going back into football management after that. “In five years the world can look very different again,” he concluded.
“I’ll take a year off and ask myself if I miss football,” explained Klopp. “If I say no, then that will be the end of coach Jurgen Klopp. If one day I am no longer a coach, there is one thing I will not miss: the brutal tension immediately before the game.”
And then in September of that year, the German told Einfach Fussbal: “When I leave Liverpool, I won’t take a new job the next day. That’s for sure. I will take a one-year break after Liverpool.”
When reading through his comments chronologically like this it feels as if Klopp has had enough and that he is desperate to leave Liverpool. But this is not the case at all. In December 2019, as he actively committed himself to the club for another five years – making this the longest time he’s ever spent in charge of one team – he revealed his love for Liverpool.
“For me, this is a statement of intent, one which is built on my knowledge of what we as a partnership have achieved so far and what is still there for us to achieve,” said Klopp. “When I see the development of the club and the collaborative work that continues to take place, I feel my contribution can only grow.
“People see what happens on the pitch as a measure of our progress and although it is the best measure, it’s not the only measure. I have seen the commitment from ownership through to every aspect and function of the club you can think of.
“When the call came in the autumn of 2015, I felt we were perfect for each other; if anything, now I feel I underestimated that. It is only with a total belief that the collaboration remains complimentary on both sides that I can make this commitment to 2024.” Klopp then went one better in April 2022 when he penned a two-year contract extension, keeping him at Anfield until 2026.
The German explained his wife played a huge part in his decision, admitting: “I stay for another two years. And not only me! No, all my coaches as well, which is the most important.
“Why? is now the question… because Ulla wants to stay! As a good husband, what are you doing when your wife wants to stay? You stay. That’s not the only reason, but it’s one of the reasons.”
A clause in his contract
As Klopp has made quite clear in his comments about his future, he plans to leave the UK once he cuts ties with Liverpool and returns to Germany. And it seems Liverpool are prepared to help Klopp in any way they can.
When Klopp put pen to paper on his new deal in December 2019, Liverpool ensured a clause was inserted in the contract, which would see the club help the German move back home once his time at Anfield has come to an end. Simply, the clause ensures Klopp’s move to Germany would be overseen by Liverpool to ensure it is a smooth one.
It is not unheard of for a club to help a manager – or a player for that matter – settle into a new area after they first agree on terms. Football clubs have been known to assist with everything from finding suitable schools for their children to sorting accommodation.
They do this to remove as much stress from the situation as possible, allowing their new signing to focus solely on the job they’ve been brought in to do. Assisting a manager’s exit however is a little unusual, but shows the bond and respect shared between Klopp and Liverpool goes both ways.
