Wow! What shocking news for the Western Hemisphere of football/soccer/futbol fans to wake up to- Jurgen Klopp is stepping down, as Liverpool FC manager, effective at the end of the season. Citing burnout, Klopp maintains that he won’t be managing a club or country, anywhere on Earth, for at least a year.
He also said that he will never manage a different English club, even if a day were to come where he is struggling to put food on the table. (That was a great joke, especially by the standards of press conferences, which are normally not entertaining).
FA Cup Fourth Round FYIs
Kick: Sun. Jan. 28, 2:30pm, Anfield, Liverpool, UK
LFC Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
We’ll reflect on the legacy and accomplishments of Klopp later, for now, let’s take a look at the top seven candidates to succeed him.
A message to Liverpool supporters from Jürgen Klopp. pic.twitter.com/l7rtmxgOzt
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 26, 2024
Xabi Alonso
The former Reds midfielder and current boss at Bayer Leverkusen is strongly considered to be the current favorite, among both the supporter base and the betting community.
Alonso is being linked to this gig more than anybody else out there, emerging as the early front-runner.
Steven Gerrard
Naturally, the Liverpool legend will get mentioned as the possible successor, but his managerial career seems to have peaked with Rangers. He was extremely successful in Scotland, but his flame out at Aston Villa led to his Saudi Arabia move.
He definitely needs a stepping stone, or two, from Al-Ettifaq before he can be seriously considered in this role.
Jose Mourinho
As evidenced by his sacking at AS Roma last week, and by how miserable his Tottenham tenure was, it’s clear that he’s lost a lot of velocity on his fastball. However, he is still a trophy accumulating machine who is currently available on the open market.
Also, he’s managed half the big six (with two stints at Chelsea), so why not work towards completing the set?
Roberto De Zerbi
Graham Potter was the first Brighton boss to get a big club job, but maybe it really is De Zerbi who is the true mastermind? After all, he is the guy who actually led the Seagulls to their first ever UEFA competition berth, not Potter.
However, would Fenway Sports Group actually pay up to get him?
FSG has shown, especially of late that they’re not too interesting in spending big money right now.
Zinedine Zidane
He is a persona as big as the club is, so this would be a great match. Plus he has the pedigree and CV in European football that is line with the history of LFC.
However, the Frenchman is very particular about what gigs he takes, and it is doubtful that he would come unless he had assurances of backing in the transfer market.
Julian Nagelsmann
A solid choice, but again would they A.) spend for him and B.) back him a transfer war chest?
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter