Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
Liverpool have been told that Jurgen Klopp’s exit at the end of the season will be like losing a ‘father figure’ as the Reds prepare for their final six games of the German’s tenure.
The 56-year-old announced in January that he would be ending his illustrious nine-year reign at Anfield at the end of the season, citing his deteriorating energy levels as a key factor behind his decision.
Since the bombshell announcement nearly three months ago, numerous players, including captain Virgil van Dijk and his deputy Trent Alexander-Arnold, have spoken about their wish to give the manager a dream send-off as they tussle with Arsenal and Manchester City for Premier League glory.
Indeed, like Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk, much of the Liverpool squad no nothing other than Klopp being at the helm at Anfield, where he has delivered resounding levels of success in both the Premier League and Champions League.
And sports psychologist Dr Paul McCarthy believes Klopp’s exit at the end of the season will see the Reds lose a ‘father figure’ and cause a huge ‘sense of loss’ at Anfield.
“These things are difficult to tell because we’re taking events that are happening and we’re trying to attach them to other events,” Dr McCarthy told the ECHO.
“In a general sense, in relationship terms, the club and team are losing somebody and the manager is losing their connection, so his loss would be a strong feeling.
“Looking from the outside in, the characteristic role of the manager is the ‘father figure’ and sense of direction, there’s a lot going on there.
Even at a tactile level, it’s wrapped in hogs. Yes, there’s dissatisfaction, but there is an overwhelming sense of ‘us together. To lose that is a sense of loss, at whatever point it kicks in.”
Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim has been linked with the soon-to-be-vacant position at Anfield, but the ECHO understands Liverpool’s process of identifying a successor for Klopp remains at the vetting stage, and no concrete decision has been made as of yet.
