Premier League
Klopp sings for his successor – Guardiola also hints at farewell
Jürgen Klopp left the stage at Liverpool FC with a smile. The coach is leaving the Premier League after eight and a half years
© Peter Byrne / DPA
Jürgen Klopp hugs everyone he can find and serenades Arne Slot. Then his era in Liverpool ends. The search for a coach could also begin soon for the new old champions Manchester City.
A blanket of gray clouds hung like a veil of mourning over Anfield Road on Monday morning. It was the right weather after Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander Arnold and his wife Ulla had already shed a few tears the evening before. Jürgen Klopp’s stirring goodbye moved the entire Liverpool family and even pushed Manchester City’s historic fourth championship title in a row into the background.
With a meaningless 2-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers and great emotions, Klopp said goodbye to the club he loved after nine years, 491 games and eight titles. This included one last “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, one last goosebump-inducing speech and homage from all sides. Then Klopp disappeared with his hand over his heart and a red sweater with the words “I’ll Never Walk Alone Again.”
Klopp almost even said goodbye with a title. The Reds were still top of the table on matchday 30, but in the end they ended up in third place, nine points behind Manchester City. The Cityzens left nothing to be desired in the 3-1 win against West Ham United in the long-distance duel with Arsenal FC. For Klopp this was at best a marginal aspect on Sunday.
First vacation
Klopp acknowledged with a broad grin that the fans had rewritten a Beatles song especially in his honor, presented his first name with red banners in the stands and held up a huge heart in the colors black, red and gold. The club icon was also honored in the official stadium brochure – and even in German on the front page: “Thank you Jürgen.” Family, friends and companions came to say goodbye.
Klopp does not look to the future wistfully, but proudly, gratefully and optimistically. “I can hardly wait for life, life after my career. Now let’s see what that means for me,” said Klopp. After intensive years with the Champions League title in 2019 as the highlight, the German “doesn’t want to do anything” for now.
For Klopp that means traveling to the premier class final to see his former club Borussia Dortmund against Real Madrid and watching a few European Championship games “here and there”. “And then go on vacation,” he announced.
“Arne Slot, well, well, well, well…”
A new era is now beginning for Liverpool. The fans who Klopp transformed from “doubters” into “believers” must not lose their confidence. “Imagine the next season starting and you don’t wait to see what happens. You greet the new coach the way you greeted me,” demanded Klopp. Then he sang a song for his Dutch successor Arne Slot – and the audience sang along enthusiastically: “Arne Slot, na, na, na, na…”.
Klopp himself will remain with the Reds as an ambassador for the LFC Foundation. “I’m one of you now. It doesn’t feel like an end, it feels like a beginning. Everything will be fine,” said Klopp, vowing Liverpool FC to start a new era.
Farewell to England
The folk hero of Liverpool: Jürgen Klopp says goodbye to the Premier League
More than a working relationship
Liverpool will never forget the former Mainz and Dortmund Bundesliga coach. Klopp has legendary status at Anfield Road. “We will stay in touch forever, for life. It’s not just a working relationship,” said offensive star Mohamed Salah on the TV channel Sky. “We helped each other a lot and we gave everything for the club to win trophies, everyone can see that.”
Klopp led Liverpool to, among other things, the championship in England and triumph in the Champions League. But his work also includes dramatic defeats. “I know we could have won more,” admitted Klopp, “but that’s okay with me.”
Guardiola also hints at farewell
Klopp’s end is a loss for the Premier League. And another threatens, because Guardiola also indicated a farewell. “The reality is that I’m closer to leaving than staying,” said the 53-year-old Catalan, who still has one year left on his contract in Manchester. “My feeling at the moment is that I want to stay next season. During the season we can talk about the future. But after eight or nine years…” said Guardiola. He moved to the island in the summer of 2016 and has since won plenty of trophies in the Premier League, the FA Cup and, in 2023, the Champions League.