Liverpool's manager, Jurgen Klopp, has chosen to resign from his position at the conclusion of the current 2023/24 season.
Klopp came to Anfield in 2015, turned the club's luck around, and created a strong sporting rivalry with Manchester City.
He affirmed his choice to Liverpoolfc.com, explained the rationale behind it, and stressed the importance of clarity to facilitate a smooth transition in the future.
"I can understand that it's a shock for a lot of people at this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it - or at least try to explain it," Klopp said in a video posted by Liverpool on social media.
"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 is the one I have to take," Klopp said.
"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 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," Klopp added.
Klopp's leadership led to a major transformation for Liverpool in the Premier League. They secured victories in the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the FA Community Shield.
In 2019-20, Liverpool's victory in the Premier League was remarkable as they secured the coveted trophy for the first time in three decades.
Klopp stated that he had already informed the club about his decision in November and said, "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 these kind of things. 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, the thought came up, 'I am not sure I am here then anymore' and I was surprised myself by that. I obviously start 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," Klopp added.
"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 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," Klopp stated.
