da blaze casino： The Reds' rivals are obviously delighted by the German's imminent exit but others are absolutely devastated…
da realsbet： Jurgen Klopp will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season. Less than 24 hours on from the official announcement, it's a statement that is clearly going to get some getting used to, given the entire football world is still in a state of shock.
It would have made some sense last summer, given Liverpool endured a trying 2023-24 campaign that finished trophy-less and Klopp appeared both agitated and exhausted at times. But the German looked refreshed this season, leading his team back to the top of the Premier League.
Consequently, some are delighted by the news that Klopp is quitting two years before his contract was set to expire, while others are absolutely devastated. Below, GOAL runs through all of the winners and losers from this stunning news…
(C)Getty ImagesWINNER: Guardiola's Man City
Manchester City celebrity fan Liam Gallagher has bid "good riddance" to Klopp and that's not in the least bit surprising.
The Liverpool manager has proven the one thorn in City's side over the past six years, managing to knock the state-sponsored club out of the Champions League in 2017-18 and consign them to a distant second-place finish in the 2019-20 Premier League. Klopp's resurgent Reds are also presently top the table, meaning there is an outside chance that Pep Guardiola will be denied a historic fourth consecutive title.
Still, Klopp going means that no matter what happens between now and the end of the season, there is no end in sight to City's sustained success. Remember, while Guardiola's contract expires in 2025, he recently hinted that he could extend his stay at the Etihad. Klopp says he is "running out of energy" but his great rival says that still has plenty in reserve. So, as long as their lawyers and accountants keep taking care of business off the field, City will continue to dominate on it.
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: FSG
Klopp has been unequivocal: he's stepping down because he's approaching breaking point. He loves Liverpool but feels he's little left to give after nine incredible but exhausting years at Anfield – and that makes an awful lot of sense. Klopp's commitment to the cause is well-known and deep-rooted.
However, the explanation of his exit has stopped many supporters pointing the finger at the club's American owners. We know that Klopp has been sometimes frustrated by the parsimony of the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and many fans are simply presuming that there has been a falling-out behind the scenes over player recruitment.
Furthermore, the mere fact that Klopp and his entire coaching staff are quitting is being interpreted by some Reds as a total show of dissatisfaction with John Henry & Co, so further calls of 'FSG Out!' are inevitable between now and the end of the season.
Consequently, the owners are now under colossal pressure to appoint a worthy successor, one that will go some way towards appeasing the fury of fans that have long despised them. FSG cannot afford to get this next move wrong.
(C)GettyImagesWINNER: Xabi Alonso
Bayer Leverkusen have previously denied that there is a clause in Xabi Alonso's contract that would allow him to join Liverpool, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich at the end of the season if one of his former clubs came calling.
However, CEO Fernando Carro stated last November that "sometimes agreements that are not on paper are agreements as well". The message was clear: Leverkusen would not stand in Alonso's way if the Spaniard wanted to leave the BayArena.
Of course, Alonso says he's happy where he is – and why wouldn't he be? Leverkusen are currently four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, meaning he could make history this season by leading the club to a first-ever German title.
But Alonso must also be secretly happy that he's the favourite with both with the bookmakers and Liverpool fans to succeed Klopp this summer. At the very least, it's testament to the wonderful job he's doing at Leverkusen and the high esteem in which he's held at Anfield.
The feeling at the moment is that one of the most prestigious positions in the game is his if he wants it. Furthermore, with Madrid having decided to renew Carlo Ancelotti's contract and Bayern sticking with Thomas Tuchel (for now, at least), Liverpool look like they're perfectly placed to land the perfect Klopp replacement.
GettyLOSER: The Premier League
The reasoning here is twofold. Firstly, Klopp's imminent departure means the Premier League will lose one of the most entertaining figures in world football. Indeed, no matter what one thinks about Klopp, there's just no denying that he's an incredibly compelling character. His post-match interviews are so often must-see TV because of the way in which he so often veers from jokes to jibes. He will be missed (although perhaps not by TNT Sports and referees!).
Secondly, and far more damagingly, the league is losing the only coach that managed to make England's top flight appear competitive. Were it not for the outstanding job Klopp did at Liverpool, City would have won six titles in a row – and every single one at a canter.
It's just so difficult, then, to see anyone filling the enormous void he'll leave behind not just at Anfield but in the Premier League. What other manager working in England has proven himself capable of constructing a team that could get the better of Guardiola's City over a 38-game season? Right now, there's not one – Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are going backwards, Erik ten Hag's Manchester United are a mess, Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea are progressing painfully slowly and Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham lack the resources to sustain a title challenge – and while that's great for Pep, it's a problem for the Premier League.