Jurgen Klopp, the esteemed German coach, dropped a bombshell on Friday, officially announcing his departure from Liverpool Football Club at the end of the season, a year before the expiration of his contract with the club he has been managing since 2015.
In an interview with Liverpool's official website, the 56-year-old stated, "I can understand that it's a shock for many people in this moment when you hear it (the news) for the first time, but it's clear I can explain it or at least try to explain it."
He continued, "I love 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 to make this decision (despite this love), it shows you I'm convinced it's the decision I have to make."
Klopp justified, "The thing is, how can I describe that, my energy is just finished. I don't have any problems now, obviously, I knew for a long time I would have to announce it at some point, but I'm fine now. I know I can't do this task over and over again."
The announcement comes with Liverpool leading the Premier League after 21 rounds, with a 5 point gap over defending champions Manchester City, who have played one game less
Klopp's name will forever be etched in the club's history after he secured the English Premier League title in 2020, ending a drought dating back to 1990. Additionally, he clinched the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and reached the final twice in 2018 and 2022. His tenure also saw Liverpool lifting the FA Cup (2022), the League Cup (2022), the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup (2019).
Just a day before this shocking announcement, Klopp insisted on Thursday that it was too early to discuss the possibility of achieving a historic quadruple. This came after Liverpool reached the League Cup final by defeating Fulham 3 - 2 on aggregate.
Liverpool had a golden opportunity to secure four titles in one season two years ago, winning the League Cup final against Chelsea. Interestingly, the same two teams are set to meet again in the final on February 25 at the iconic Wembley Stadium.
The Anfield side settled for domestic success, winning the League Cup but narrowly missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City on the final day. They also suffered defeat to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final.
This season, Liverpool is competing on four fronts, leading the league, reaching the Europa League Round of 16, preparing for a fourth-round FA Cup clash against Norwich City, and vying for the League Cup.
Klopp remarked on Thursday, "I haven't thought about it (winning the quadruple) to be honest because we are still far away from getting to four finals."
He added, "We've reached one final. There's no point in planning for the next final before you play the first one."
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