It was a cold day in November 2023, when fenway Sports Group (FSG) Chairman Mike Gordon received an unexpected phone call from Jurgen Klopp.
The German tactician said that after a long time of thinking and balancing everything, he decided to end his journey at Anfield. Klopp told Gordon that he simply could no longer maintain the energy to continue. Fatigue comes more often, accompanied by greater pressure.
In April 2022, Klopp decided to extend his contract with Liverpool until June 2026. Therefore, the decision to retire after this season ended was a big shock for FSG's owners. When this information reached the other members of FSG's Board of Directors, John Henry and Tom Werner, they were shocked but knew that nothing could be changed. They know that Klopp's decision does not come from money, it is simply a personal feeling when a seemingly endless source of energy is fading away and needs to be recreated.
Since receiving this decision from Klopp, Liverpool's owners have not agreed to rush and have kept the German strategist thinking. Klopp was given time to reconsider but the final decision remained unchanged. In fact, the Kop captain did not tell anyone outside the board before making a public announcement. He wanted the players, colleagues and staff of the team not to feel shocked. German coach's assistants Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz and Vitor Matos have also been planned to leave Anfield early.
"If under ideal conditions, I would have waited until the end of this season, when the club won the titles before saying goodbye. However, that is impossible. I will not be fired by anyone so I need to decide my future myself" - Klopp shared, not forgetting with the suggestion that he could take a full break in the next year to re- touch things.
Last season, Liverpool only finished 5th in the Premier League, which was a huge pressure for the German strategist. Klopp has rejected the German Football Confederation's offer to stay and revive Liverpool. In the end, he is successful as in all 4 arenas The Kop are competing, they are all leading candidates for the championship.
"My coaching skills rely largely on each individual's energy, along with their emotions. When I can't maintain that anymore, I'll stop. At the time of signing the contract extension, I thought I would be able to go with Liverpool until 2026. However, when I suddenly realized that my energy was not endless, I stopped" - Klopp shared.
Some Liverpool players also feel that the 2023-2024 season is the "Last Dance" of the 56-year-old coach. They see the German strategist's energy focused on this season, as evidenced by Liverpool's good performance in all competitions. However, no one thought the farewell would be said so early. Everyone was more surprised and shocked when they learned that Klopp had answered the interview with the media team about the farewell at 24 hours before the world knew.
After a shocking interview, Klopp returned to the training ground with his students to prepare for the confrontation with Norwich in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. The atmosphere of joy between teachers and students was felt. They are professional enough not to be affected by emotions in their behavior, but certainly, they cannot be as excited as usual because a successful era with the inspiring teachers is about to end.
In fact, if Klopp had said goodbye a season ago, things would have seemed more reasonable. Last season was a period of unsuccess for Liverpool in terms of achievements and there were rumors that the team had some internal conflicts. However, Klopp stayed, helping The Kop regain their position before saying goodbye. That is the kindness of a man, not leaving in a losing position.
