Jurgen Klopp sets record straight on retirement plans after Liverpool exit
- Klopp won his final Liverpool game in charge against Wolves on Sunday
- German boss plans to take at least a year away from management & had hinted at retirement
- Final press conference saw Klopp clarify his future plans
By Tom Gott
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he has no plans to retire after his final game as Liverpool manager came to an end.
Klopp went out on a high as Liverpool picked up a comfortable 2-0 victory, after which questions were asked about the German's next move.
Back when he first announced his plan to leave Liverpool, Klopp had suggested he may even consider retiring as he was not sure he could ever work for another club again, but that stance was changed in his final press conference.
"I will work," he stressed. "I have just finished this job. I don't know exactly why nobody believes I will probably not be a manager again, but I understand because obviously it seems to be a drug.
"It looks like that as everybody comes back and everybody works until they are 70-something. I have always had the idea I won't do that. Other people are smarter and do it in different ways, but I have to be all-in. I have to be the spark, I have to be the energiser, I have to be all these kind of things. And I am empty. That's it.
"My biggest worry today was that [goalkeeping coach] John Achterberg was coughing all the time next to me, and I thought I'd wake up tomorrow and I'll be ill because he's coughing in my direction! I have to start with the rest now and then we will see.
"It's not that I'm looking outside for the next opportunity and which clubs are available and stuff like this. There will be opportunities but I'm not thinking 'maybe in a year's time I'll take that'. In this moment, see you later.
"I have no clue [what I will do tomorrow]. Packing probably. I have enough things to do, private life must be planned as well but I've been here doing things and probably Ulla [Klopp's wife] will update me where we go. I have no clue what's coming up. We have a party tonight."
Klopp has firmly ruled out managing another Premier League team when he eventually returns to work and will take at least a year on the sidelines before evaluating the options available to him.
A number of Europe's top clubs will likely be keen on Klopp in 2025, while officials from the German national team have been public in their desire to work with the 56-year-old.
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