Jurgen Klopp says the 2024/25 season would have been tricky for him and Liverpool had he not decided to call time on his legendary spell at Anfield this summer.
The German manager announced in January he would step down from his post after nine years in charge, having won a Premier League and Champions League title during his time on Merseyside.
However, their championship push has unravelled towards the end of the current campaign, meaning the Reds now need unprecedented collapses from both Arsenal and Manchester City to have any hope of finishing first in the English top flight.
With Europa League commitments also thrown in before Liverpool’s exit at the hands of Atalanta, Klopp is more than familiar with the heavy workload of managing one of the world’s biggest clubs and admitted he would have struggled to give the job the energy it requires had he stuck around for one last season.
Asked if his partner Ulla Sandrock played a part in his choice to leave this summer, Klopp told Sky Sports: “The initial decision was not a joint decision. It was my decision in this specific case.
“There’s only one person who can make that call and it was me. I had to explain it to her that for me it is about being in the best possible shape until I finish.
“The football hasn’t been great the last few weeks, and as a result you start hearing people say that I look really tired. I’m just old! But I’m about being in it 100 per cent until the last day. That was always the plan.
“I was sure that if I didn’t make that decision now, next year it could have been tricky. The thought of picking yourself up for another pre-season, make big decisions.
“For that, you really need to be full of energy. 80 per cent is not enough. That’s the truth. It’s too much. It’s a 24/7 job. Yes, there are more important things in life, but if you really care then it’s 24/7.
“I did it for a pretty long time and I knew I couldn’t continue to do it at the standard necessary for a club like Liverpool.”
The Reds play their penultimate home game under Klopp on Sunday when they entertain Tottenham at Anfield.
What we know
- Klopp due to leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season
- Reds’ Premier League title charge has unravelled in recent weeks
- German manager admits he “couldn’t continue” in role for 2024/24.
