Klopp admits quitting Anfield has been much harder than when he stepped down as coach of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. He also reiterated that he will never manage another club in England.
Jurgen Klopp insists he is leaving Liverpool in capable hands.
Klopp believes new Reds’ boss Arne Slot will be the perfect successor when he takes over from him in the summer. And he reckons the Dutchman will be able to lean heavily on the expertise of chief executive Michael Edwards, technical director Julian Ward and new sporting director Richard Hughes.
Klopp, who worked alongside Edwards and Ward during his eight-and-a-half years at Anfield, has rejected suggestions that the pair are only returning to the club because he’s on his way out. Klopp said: “Did anyone make a story that they have all come back because I am leaving?
“It was really not because of me (that they left). You can ask Michael Edwards if he will speak in public – but our work together was really, really good. We all worked well together – and Richard, who I know, is another great, great guy.
“I liked the signings a lot. Who the club is bringing in, I like them all. We have a good team, a really good manager is coming in – and we have all these guys too.
The club is in good hands. People might worry about the future but I’m not. I really want the club to do well. It is not that I am thinking ‘my God, how will that all go?’ No, no. It is fine.
“But they will have to do it themselves and speak about themselves. Yes there are a lot of changes staff-wise, but that is how it is. We are all fine. You work in football and then normally, after a year or two, you move on to the next club.
“We were privileged to be able to work for this long at this outstanding club. For such a long time, it was an honour and a privilege and now the next ones can do it.”
Klopp admits quitting Anfield has been much harder than when he stepped down as coach of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. He also reiterated that he will never manage another club in England.
Klopp added: “This is really tough. At Mainz, when the last game came up, I said if we get promoted, I would stay. But the other team won so we didn’t get promoted. Dortmund the last game at home, we had the cup final the next week so we had training the next day.
“Now it’s completely different. It is clear before the game that this is it. Yes, this will be a long break, 100 per cent. It might even be it.
It is definitely my time in England is over because I will not coach another team here. If I manage again it will not be around the corner. Nothing will happen like that.”
