Jurgen Klopp has explained he won’t play a role in helping Liverpool appoint his successor when he leaves the club at the end of the season.
It was confirmed on Friday morning through the club’s social media channels that the German tactician will cut short his stay on Merseyside and vacate his role in the summer.
Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan, who joined Klopp at a special press conference at the AXA Training Centre this afternoon, claimed the process of finding a replacement for the 56-year-old will go on behind the scenes but will not be spoken about until the end of the current campaign.
In comments relayed by the ECHO’s Ian Doyle on X (formerly Twitter), the former Borussia Dortmund boss said the ‘incredibly strong’ foundation he’s built in the last eight years is ‘one of the reasons’ why he can leave the club.
Klopp on having role picking successor: (shakes head) Why should I? It looks like I do all the work (to the outside) but I can't and I don't. What we have built in the last eight years is an incredibly strong structure behind the scenes, that's one of the reasons I can leave
— Ian Doyle (@IanDoyleSport) January 26, 2024
Xabi Alonso has already emerge as the ‘early bookies favourite’ to take up the managerial role at Anfield in the summer with him currently doing very well with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.
The Spaniard’s side are four points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga and qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League after winning all six of their games.
Our former No. 14 was asked about the prospect of replacing Klopp at the end of the season and replied by insisting he’s currently happy where he is.
Other names will be linked with the Reds between now and the end of the season but let’s let those who work behind the scenes at the club worry about that for now – we’ve got four trophies to try and win before the Normal One calls it a day on Merseyside.