Jurgen Klopp has done it all as Liverpool and Dortmund manager and the 56-year-old says he will be taking a long break from coaching after Sunday’s Premier League finale against West Ham. Having announced his intentions to leave the club earlier in the season, Klopp had been linked with various vacancies, but he says he will not be rushing into anything and that the Reds job may have been his last.
Jurgen Klopp faces his 491st and final match as manager of Liverpool on Sunday against West Ham, and while he isn’t sure what will come next, he is planning a ‘long break’.
After the better part of nine years at Anfield, Klopp has collected eight honours and challenged for plenty more.
After going toe-to-toe with Bayern Munich in Germany while manager of Borussia Dortmund, Klopp was out of work for less than five months before taking the reins at Liverpool.
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Replacing Brendan Rodgers, Klopp guided the Reds to eighth in his first season but swiftly set about building a team that would go up against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in a series of memorable Premier League title races.
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‘The most intense week’ – Klopp gears up for final match as Liverpool manager
In Europe, Klopp reached four finals, winning the Champions League in 2019.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo ahead of his final game as Liverpool boss, Klopp ruled out ever returning to the Premier League with another club.
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He said: “It is definitely that 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. It means a big, big part of my life is definitely over. ”
In his previous jobs at Mainz and Dortmund, Klopp did not have the opportunity of a home game in his final game in charge, as he explained to the Echo.
He said: “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’s it’.”
Turning to his next move, Klopp hinted that retirement may even be on the horizon, while insisting that regardless he will take a proper break after Sunday’s match.
He said: “Yes, this will be a long break, 100%. It might be it.”
Posting on Instagram on Saturday evening, Klopp was in a similarly wistful mood.
He said: “So here I am, last day in the office. Last session done. It was kind of strange I would say. A few of the coaches got quite emotional. I didn’t get [emotional] yet. I told myself tomorrow is the game and after that is holiday… I decide what I think until I get overwhelmed tomorrow! So I will leave this place today which is… yeah an interesting experience I would say! Here are the boxes. See you tomorrow!”