‘Why I’ve Made The Decision To Leave Liverpool’ | Jürgen Klopp | The Full Interview

Summary

In an emotional announcement, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp reveals he will leave the club at the end of the season. Though difficult, he feels it's the right decision as he is running out of energy. He asks fans to accept his choice, not make games about him, and fully support the team. Klopp expresses immense gratitude and love for Liverpool, saying it will always be his home. He aims to enjoy this season fully before departing, hoping to create more special memories.

Takeaways

• 😢 Klopp is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season as he feels he is running out of energy and cannot do the job to the same high standard anymore
• 🤝 Klopp has a great relationship with the club's owners and they accepted his decision, even though they were not happy about it
• ⏰ Klopp told the club about his decision back in November so they would have enough time to plan for the future
• ❤️ Klopp loves everything about Liverpool FC and the city and says he will forever be grateful and love the club
• 🚗 Klopp compares himself to a sports car with a fuel tank running low that only he can see - he needs a break to 'refuel'
• 😊 The decision, as difficult as it was, came as a relief to Klopp once he made it
• ⚽ Klopp stresses it should be business as usual for the remainder of the season and is fully committed to the team and upcoming games
• 🚫 Klopp asks fans not to make the remaining games about him and wants full support for the team instead
• 🏆 Klopp wants to squeeze everything out of this season and have more success to look back on fondly in the future
• 🤝 Klopp hopes fans can accept his difficult decision as he feels it is the right one

Q & A

Why is Klopp leaving Liverpool?

Klopp says he is 'running out of energy' and needs to recharge. He feels he cannot do the job with the same high energy level as before.

When did Klopp make the decision to leave Liverpool?

Klopp says he realized he would have to leave earlier in the year, around November 2022, but only officially informed the club and made the announcement in February 2024.

How does Klopp feel about leaving Liverpool?

Klopp says it is a difficult decision and he loves the club, the city, the fans, and everything about Liverpool. But he feels it is the right decision for himself and the club.

What does Klopp ask of Liverpool fans about his departure?

Klopp asks fans to accept his decision, not make the remaining games about him, and fully support the team as usual.

Will Klopp ever manage another club?

Klopp says he will never manage another English club besides Liverpool. He is unsure if he will manage any club in the future.

Did the Liverpool owners want Klopp to stay?

Yes, Klopp says the owners tried to convince him to stay but accepted his decision when he explained he had no energy left for the role.

How does Klopp's wife Ulla feel about his decision?

Klopp says he had to explain it to Ulla. She understands and supports his decision, wanting him to be happy.

What are Klopp's plans after leaving Liverpool?

Klopp plans to take at least a year off from managing. He may find something else to do but won't manage another club or country right away.

How does Klopp view his career and time at Liverpool?

Klopp calls his career a 'fairy tale' and says managing Liverpool was impossible to plan but an amazing privilege. He is grateful for his time there.

What legacy does Klopp want to leave at Liverpool?

Klopp wants to be remembered for bringing success while building strong relationships. He aims to leave the club in great shape for the future.

Outlines

00:00

😊 Announcing his departure

Klopp announces that he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the current season. He explains it was a difficult decision, but he is running out of energy after many intense years. He wants the club to have time to plan for the future.

05:02

😕 Reasons behind the decision

Klopp expands on the reasons behind his decision to leave. This includes the difficult previous season, the taxing nature of his role, and his desire to experience normal life again before it's too late. He emphasizes it's the right time for both himself and the club.

10:05

😃 Looking forward to the future

Klopp discusses his future plans, confirming this is definitely his last season at Liverpool. He is open to working again in the future, but not as a manager next season. He is excited to have a normal life and discover his next purpose.

15:07

💖 Grateful for the journey

Klopp expresses his endless love, respect and gratitude for Liverpool Football Club, its fans and the city. The key to the city ceremony was an incredible, unexpected honor. He hopes to continue adding to their story before he departs.

20:09

👏 Rally cry to the fans

Klopp appeals to the fans - accept his decision, don't make the next games about him. Keep supporting the team loudly. Stay together through potential outside noise about his exit. He wants to smile looking back on squeezing everything out of this final season.

Keywords

💡retirement

Klopp announces he is retiring or 'leaving the club' at the end of the season. This is the main theme and revelation in his message. He explains the reasons behind this difficult decision, emphasizing he still loves the club but is 'running out of energy'.

💡gratitude

Klopp expresses his deep gratitude and respect for Liverpool FC, its supporters, players, and staff. He talks about the 'love' that grew between them over the years and wanting to be honest with the fans.

💡timing

Klopp discusses the importance of announcing his decision now rather than later. He wants to give the club enough time to plan for the future rather than dropping the news at the last minute.

💡energy

Klopp says repeatedly that he is 'running out of energy' to continue as manager with the same intensity. He compares himself to a sports car with a diminishing fuel tank.

💡relief

Klopp admits that despite the sadness, deciding to leave was also a 'relief' as it gave him a finishing point and he won't have to keep pushing himself beyond his limits.

💡normal life

Klopp talks about wanting to live a more normal life outside of the pressures of being a top football manager, something he hasn't experienced before. He wants to 'at least give it a try'.

💡legacy

Klopp emphasizes that the club's future remains bright after his departure. He is confident about the team, supporters, and structures he helped build during his tenure as manager.

💡focus

Klopp stresses that he remains 100% committed to Liverpool for the remainder of the season. He won't allow his announcement to distract from their objectives.

💡fan support

Klopp appeals to Liverpool fans to accept his decision with understanding and continue their full support. He doesn't want the remaining games to be about him.

💡pride

Klopp expresses his enduring pride in managing Liverpool, getting the Freedom of the City, and his strong bond with the club's supporters. This makes leaving very difficult.

Highlights

I will leave the club at the end of the season.

I am running out of energy.

I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.

The least I owe you is the truth - and that is the truth.

I am OK. I am healthy, as much as you can [be] at my age.

I told the club already in November.

Too late would have been absolutely the worst thing to happen.

It is up to us. After this announcement we will have a press conference and stuff like that. After that, I am 100 per cent in this season.

I want to be 100 per cent in it, and I am. I am. Nobody has to worry about my mindset.

I need to at least give it a try at one point to see how it is, will I miss it?

I would say impossible to plan, and difficult to reach, but it is only possible if you are very busy, and 100,000 per cent committed to everything you do and dedicate your whole life to it.

I tried to explain it with, I’m like a proper sports car - not the best one but a pretty good one, can still drive 160, 170, 180 mph, but I’m the only one who sees the tank meter is going down.

When I realised that, then I had to...tell people. That’s what I owe you all.

I really want you to accept the decision. That would be nice.

Let’s make a strength of it. That would be really cool.

Transcripts

Well, Jürgen, we're here because you have an important message

to deliver to our suppporters.

Would you like to tell them what that is?

Yeah, I have to.

I will leave the club at the end of the season.

I can understand that that’s a shock for a lot of people in this moment,

when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it -

or at least try to explain it.

I love absolutely 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 that I still take this decision shows you

that I am convinced it's the one I have to take.

It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy.

I have no problem now, obviously,

I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point,

but I am absolutely fine now.

I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.

After all the years we had together and after all the time we spent together

and after all the things we went through together,

the respect grew for you, the love grew for you

and the least I owe you is the truth - and that is the truth.

You obviously offered a lot of detail in that first answer,

but I'm sure you appreciate how big this news is for our supporters,

so we'll drill down into some of the reasons behind your decision.

I think the first thing fans will want to know is, has something happened, are you OK?

I am OK. I am healthy, as much as you can [be] at my age.

Little bits and bobs, stuff like that, but nothing anybody has to be concerned about,

so that’s absolutely fine.

I told the club already in November.

I have to explain a little bit that maybe the job I do people see from the outside -

I’m on the touchline and in training sessions and stuff like this,

but the majority of all the things happen around about that.

That means a season starts and you plan pretty much the next season already.

When we sat there together talking about potential signings, the next summer camp

and can we go wherever,

I just realised, the thought came up:

"I am not sure I will still be here anymore."

And I was surprised myself by that, and I obviously started thinking about it.

It didn’t start [then], but of course last season was kind of a super-difficult season

and there were moments when, at other clubs, probably the decision would have been,

"Come on, thank you very much for everything

"but probably we should split here, or end it here."

That didn’t happen here, obviously.

For me, it was super, super, super-important

that I can help to bring this team back onto the rails.

It was all I was thinking about.

When I realised pretty early, OK, that happened,

it’s a really good team with massive potential and a super age group, super characters

and all that, then I could start thinking about myself again. And that was the outcome.

It is not what I want to [do], it is just what I think is 100 per cent right.

That’s it.

Is there a reason you're making this decision now given the stage of the season we're at?

In an ideal world I wouldn’t have said anything to anybody until the end of the season,

win everything and then say goodbye.

That’s not possible.

In the world we are living in, it’s not possible to keep things like this secret;

it’s maybe a surprise that we could keep it [a secret] until now.

There are so many things which are influenced by it,

especially personal situations.

People from my staff need to know early,

and especially the club needs to know early and needs to plan.

You cannot plan anything and you cannot really start...

You can do a lot of stuff with knowing it but not making it public,

but the decisive things, a lot of things, you cannot do.

That means the club needs time. Over the years my role was a pretty dominant one.

It was not intentional, but it happened.

There were a lot of moments

where I wished that I didn’t have to do that again [leave a club] -

it is the third time I have to do something like that and I really don’t want that.

But in the end I have to,

because one thing I am really convinced of is, if you have to make a decision like that,

it's better you do it slightly early rather than slightly too late.

Too late would have been absolutely the worst thing to happen,

if, I don’t know, next season in September I realised,

"Oh my God, that’s it - I cannot do it anymore",

and then we are in the middle of a season.

This club, everything we built in the last years, is a wonderful platform,

a wonderful basis for the future, and the only thing that could disturb that now

is pretty much that you cannot make the right decisions

because you are running out of time,

and that’s what was very important to me:

that I really inform everybody as early as possible.

You said 'disturbance' there -

are you at all concerned this news could have a negative impact

on the remainder of the season?

I understand the question 100 per cent, but that’s up to us, I would say.

I had a similar situation at Dortmund.

The circumstances are completely different but it is a similar situation,

you cannot deny that.

It is up to us.

After this announcement we will have a press conference and stuff like that.

After that, I am 100 per cent in this season.

We can go through it, I think in an ideal world

we have kind of 30 games coming up or something like that.

That is, in other countries, a full season.

There are so many things to play for,

and there might be some ideas from the outside to disturb what we are doing,

but it is all about us.

The way we grew together in the last few years is absolutely exceptional.

Absolutely exceptional.

I always said it, and especially now it is still true: nothing has to happen because of me.

Nobody has to make the games about me now -

please don’t, if I can ask for that it would be really nice - and we just support each other.

I am fully here - I don’t think anybody realised any difference in the last few months.

If [they did] then maybe a positive change!

Because I have to say, when I made the decision,

as hard as it is, it was a relief as well.

It was like, "OK, there is a finishing line."

And not for not being here anymore.

If I could stay here in that role I would be over the moon, I just can’t. That’s it.

I really want to... perform on the highest level,

and we only get disturbed if we let it happen as a club.

I really hope that it will not happen.

With the team I am sure that they will be fine.

With the crowd I am sure they will be fine, but the world out there is bigger,

the social media world and all these kind of things,

but I think it is worth [it] that we do what we always did.

We live in the moment, we push each other as much as we can

and we go for absolutely everything.

The rest is next season, there is no difference really for that season,

to be 100 per cent honest.

Everything that happened in the last few years, it was always my name,

but obviously plenty of people are working on everything,

and they are still working on that and still doing that.

So my role will change, a lot of other things will stay the same,

the club is in good hands and the future is bright -

and even brighter when I don’t have to do it anymore

with not exactly the same energy level as before.

If you look at my career, this career is actually not possible, I would say,

because where I am coming from,

ending up as the manager of Liverpool FC is a fairy tale and a very difficult thing to plan.

I would say impossible to plan, and difficult to reach,

but it is only possible if you are very busy

and 100,000 per cent committed to everything you do and dedicate your whole life to it.

That’s what I did.

I came here - and I said it on the first day - as a normal guy.

I am still a normal guy, I just haven't lived a normal life for too long now.

I don’t want to wait until I am too old for having a normal life.

I need to at least give it a try at one point to see how it is, will I miss it?

As I said, I never really had this before, so I need to give it a try,

and it's the right moment for me and I think it's the right moment for the club,

because I can’t do the job from next year on as I did it before,

and then I am not the right one anymore.

What was the reaction of the club's ownership when you informed them?

They didn’t smash a party! We developed a really good relationship over the years,

but I explained it, and they know me now for so long

that they know I don’t say these kind of things

and leave a little bit of the door open -

"Come on, try to convince me."

I said, we’ve known each for so long and that well,

that was clear and they accepted, they just accepted it.

Nobody was really happy.

The few people I have told so far were not really happy.

I am not happy with it, I just know it’s right.

What are the alternative scenarios? What are they?

Usually as a manager you get the sack.

You have a bad spell before - five, six, seven weeks -

and everybody is relieved when you part ways.

I’m not sure what’s the other one…

you get ill and you have to stop.

And unfortunately, or fortunately, I have to do it like this.

I don’t like that we have to make a fuss of myself,

I don’t consider myself as that important

but I know that the outside world sees that slightly differently.

That’s why we do that -

doing a press conference, an official announcement,

is a rare thing to do in this situation.

We just want to make sure that everybody who is with us

gets informed in the best possible way.

But after this I’m completely in the Norwich game, I’m completely in the Chelsea game,

in the Arsenal game - whatever game is coming up, I’m completely in that.

There is no need for any farewell parties now, there is a long season to go.

I want to be 100 per cent in it, and I am. I am.

Nobody has to worry about my mindset.

It would be really cool if you just could accept my decision

as a difficult one but the right one.

That’s it.

Because as much as I love everything, I still think it’s the right one -

that could show you it IS probably the right one.

From your perspective, after the announcement was made,

in this building it's just business as usual.

Yeah, definitely. Business as usual, with a few sad faces for a few days.

In a good moment, to change is obviously something

that doesn’t happen too often, but if it happens there’s still a chance.

Nobody knows what the future will bring, but the basis is so good, this team is so good.

If you would have asked my younger version 10 years ago to take over this team,

I would have run through a brick wall to do that.

Unfortunately, I did this job for 24 years and at some time

I need to have a look... how life is, actually.

Because I don’t know, I just don’t know.

And that’s what I need to figure out before it’s too late for me, if you want.

I have to try that now.

And I know, I don’t know exactly when,

but I signed a new contract not too long ago,

and I was over the moon when I did it, and it was exactly what I felt in that moment.

The one thing I didn’t know and I underestimated

was the fact that my energy source is not endless.

Because I never had that issue.

And when I realised that, then I had to...tell people.

That’s what I owe you all.

I tried to describe it already, I had to explain it to Ulla clearly.

I tried to explain it with, I’m like a proper sports car -

not the best one but a pretty good one, can still drive 160, 170, 180 mph,

but I’m the only one who sees the tank meter is going down.

The outside world doesn’t see that, that’s good,

so you go as long as we have to go,

but then you need a break.

In this case, you need to go to the petrol station.

That’s exactly what I know I have to do,

but nobody has to worry until the end of this season,

I know that I will be fine until then.

When you signed that last contract in 2022,

there was a lot of talk about Ulla and her influence in making that happen.

What's her reaction to this news?

I had to explain it, of course I had to.

It was not like, "Oh, thank God."

You must not misunderstand, not at all.

She asked me why and I explained it like I explain it now to you,

with a few more maybe private details, but besides that it was pretty similar.

And obviously Ulla wants me to do well and be fine,

and when she realised that I’m really clear about that -

and she knows I don’t take these kind of things lightly -

she is happy for me,

that I’m...happy with the decision.

Because that’s the truth. When people tell me now

all the different things we do in the moment

and what’s going well with the team and stuff like this, I enjoy it like crazy.

But I enjoy it as well because I know I will not have to do it forever.

I need to find a different purpose as well, I need to have a look for it.

If you ask me, "Will you ever work as a manager again?"...

..I would say - now - no.

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 per cent.

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.

I will find something else maybe to do.

But I will not manage a club or a country at least for a year, that’s not possible,

I cannot do that and I don’t want to. That’s all.

It’s such a strange situation because I have to explain that I don’t have energy anymore,

but now I’m sitting here and I have energy

and I’m buzzing for everything that’s happening here.

But because of the relationship we have, I have to think about this.

Because nobody will sack me, I have to make this decision by myself.

The responsibility I have for everything here tells me I’m not the right one for the future,

so I have to tell.

As much as I wish I would be.

And that’s what I do here.

Actually, it’s completely strange.

I’m looking forward to the Norwich game, I am,

I’m really looking forward to the Norwich game, to play it, a home game.

Then we play Chelsea at home.

At one point the new stand will be completely full.

So many wonderful things happened in the time since I’m here,

it’s just amazing and I love all that, but I will follow that,

I will be part of it, I will support it,

but not in the main chair anymore from a specific point on.

I just want to come back to your love for the city of Liverpool.

You said something recently and I think our supporters liked to hear it,

it was about getting the freedom of the city meant to you.

So, we have enough time to talk about everything,

there will [time] be after the season, whenever,

you want me here, I have a contract until the end of June

and we can talk about absolutely everything.

For me, the situation is [that] today is an announcement day, if you want.

We have to say what we have to say.

All the rest will come, we will have time for it and these kind of things.

That I not only feel home, that I AM home here, is 100 per cent clear.

That I will love this club forever, will be grateful forever, is 100 per cent clear.

That getting the key of the city

is one of the most special moments of my whole entire life,

that I never expected something like this to happen,

makes it even more special,

because I didn’t even know that you have something like that.

When I got it, when I heard the speeches,

when I saw the ceremony and all these kinds of things, it was so special, it was incredible.

And made me an honorary Liverpudlian or Scouser, however you want to see it.

I couldn't be more proud of that.

But there are so many things and that’s not the moment to talk about

the fantastic time we had, because this wonderful book we wrote together

since we are here together,

I would love to put a few more chapters into it.

That’s what I want. I know there are kids out there when they run at my car after games

and want to have signings and autographs and stuff like this -

they never experienced a different manager since they are born.

Only recently we met Dáire [Gorman], our friend,

I probably have to explain it to him as well, and I will, that’s no problem.

I really will try to do all these things.

But in this moment, that’s it, and from here we go.

I told why but people might not believe it.

OK, if I have a health issue then everybody says, "OK, he’s not healthy" so that’s normal.

All the rest, there will be a lot of discussions around.

So, I can say, the owners tried everything, absolutely everything.

There’s no issue, nobody has to discuss that, it’s nothing to do with FSG.

I loved so many things about what we did in the past -

we built two new stands, we built a new training ground,

we had always wonderful football teams.

Did it always go exactly my way?

I’m not sure, I don’t even remember it anymore

because it was all about discussing hard, talking about it,

what is possible, what is not possible?

And from the moment on when the decisions were made,

we had the best possible football team.

People will say, if he would have got more backing from the owners

then this and that would have happened.

Do you really think with one more player - a different player -

we would have had a point more when we reached 97 points?

Don’t know how that goes, players are not that influential,

scoring in the right moment - it was about 11mm here or 15mm there.

That’s life. We had so many good things -

if you want to remember them, remember them.

I will, forever, I will cherish that 100 per cent.

But this is the moment where we have to:

"OK, now everybody knows, now the club can plan,

"now everything can be sorted, organised,

"and we can keep playing the football we are playing." That’s actually the idea.

Because there are, in our situation,

not a lot of different scenarios.

I could go in the next season and start it with like, "Oh, my God, again?" Stuff like this.

And that’s not me. My coaching, my managing style is based on energy,

I usually have enough to give it to a lot of people.

And if that’s not there, I am not the same.

If I am not the same, I cannot do it.

And that’s what we all, and I, have to accept.

And I hope you can accept it as well. And then we go, that’s the plan.

Is that your message to supporters then?

The message to supporters: I really would like you to accept the decision.

That would be nice. And then, if I can ask for one more thing,

after telling you don’t sing my song too early,

after telling you be loud in the stadium, stuff like this,

if I could ask you for one more thing it would be:

don’t make these games about me, because there’s no need.

The only thing I always wanted was the full support for the team, it’s not for me.

I know about our relationship, I don’t need any kind of proof.

We will have a moment, maybe the last matchday here or somewhere else -

I mean in other countries or other competitions.

There’s enough time to do these kinds of things. Let’s now really go for it.

The outside world want to use this decision,

laugh about it, want to disturb us.

We are Liverpool, we went through harder things together.

And you went through harder things before me.

Let’s make a strength of it. That would be really cool.

Let’s squeeze everything out of this season

and have another thing to smile about when we look back in the future.

Thank you.