The Jurgen Klopp era of Liverpool football is now officially over, and it ended with a 2-0 win over Wolves. So other than a sabbatical, what is next for Klopp? It’s hard to say, but the German has dropped hints of retirement while at the same time also making comments that totally contradict the idea of potentially hanging ’em up for good.
One thing we do know, about the soon to be 57-year-old 2019-20 Premier League and 2018-19 Champions League winner, is that he will never coach in England again.
??? Jurgen Klopp on his future: “It will be a long break, for sure”.
“It might even be it”.
“My time in England is definitely over because I will not coach another team here. If I manage again, it will not be around the corner”. pic.twitter.com/hAD40JFlmZ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 19, 2024
“If you ask me, ‘Will you ever work as a manager again?’ I would say now no,” Klopp said to Liverpool’s official site when the very surprising announcement was made in January.
“But I don’t know obviously how that will feel because I never had the situation. What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 percent. That’s not possible.
“My love for this club, my respect for the people is too big. I couldn’t.
“I couldn’t for a second think about it. There’s no chance. This is part of my life, we are part of the family, we feel home here. There’s no chance to do that. But all the rest, will I ever work again? Of course, I know myself, I cannot just sit around.”
Obviously, a man as intense and motivated as Jurgen Klopp cannot just sit around. The purveyor of heavy metal football, who is definitely known for going at full pace nearly all the time, is incredibly self-aware there. Most likely his sabbatical lasts a year, potentially two. After that, we’ll just have to see where the German National Team is at with their managerial situation.
Ditto for the former clubs of Jurgen Klopp, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. And then what happens at Bayern Munich, once they finally figure out their mess of a head coaching situation? What if there next boss doesn’t work out?
We will just have to see where we are come 2025 or 2026. The situations are always fluid.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.