Jurgen Klopp has pinpointed the moment he knew he had to leave Liverpool after announcing he will walk away from the club at the end of the season.
Klopp announced his decision to leave the club on Friday morning, despite Liverpool being in the midst of an outstanding campaign that sees them still in the hunt for four trophies.
But Klopp revealed at a special press conference on Friday afternoon that he has been thinking about his future for a number of months, and realised he had to quit following last summer’s hectic transfer window, which saw the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho leave for Saudi Arabia during a major transitional period at Anfield.
‘The summer was a difficult one. We were working really hard to bring in the right players. The summer and preparation we had was outstanding. That gave me a lot of joy. But it’s not about that,’ he explained.
‘I love the team and how we react, but it’s the stuff we have to do next to it. The planning – the transfer window isn’t just the window – you need to be spot on as well. Then I realised that’s something I cannot [continue]… I did it so often. Six press conferences a week for nine years!’
Jurgen Klopp has revealed the moment he knew he had to walk away from Liverpool
Klopp is proud of his team’s rebuild this season, but admits last summer’s transfer window drained him
Klopp’s revelation followed a bombshell interview he gave to Liverpool’s official website just hours earlier when he confirmed he would be walking away this summer after winning every major trophy available during his nine years on Merseyside.
‘I will leave the club at the end of the season,’ he said. ‘I can understand that it’s a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it.
‘It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.’
Klopp’s admission of burnout mirrors when he left his previous club Borussia Dortmund after wife Ulla Sandrock was said to have played a major role in his departure.
Klopp was asked about the influence of Ulla on his resignation – and said she was ‘happy’ with his decision. She had also been integral to him signing a new…