Jurgen Klopp has not ruled out a return to football at some point, but the former Liverpool boss has revealed it may not be in management.
Klopp left his role at Liverpool at the end of last season after a hugely successful nine-year spell admitting he was “running out of energy”.
He departed Anfield to take a year out of the game but despite his sabbatical, he has already been linked to a number of jobs, including replacing Gareth Southgate, who resigned after an eight-year reign as England boss.
Former Borussia Dortmund manager Klopp, speaking at the Coaches’ Congress in Wurzburg, ruled himself out of the running for the England post, and any other management post, suggesting he may never return to the game as a manager.
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ESPN’s Mark Ogden says Jurgen Klopp would’ve been a perfect appointment by the FA for the vacant England job and admits the former Liverpool boss still has ‘plenty of miles on the clock’
He said: “As of today, that’s it for me as a coach.
“I didn’t quit on a whim, but it was a general decision. I’ve also coached the best clubs in the world.
“Maybe we can talk about it again in a few months. I still want to work in football and help people with my experience and contacts. Let’s see what else there is for me.”
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Jurgen Klopp reflects on his incredible career at Liverpool following an emotional final game in charge of the club
When asked what kind of job opportunities his adviser Marc Kosicke had been bringing to him since he left Liverpool in May, Klopp replied: “I have nothing to say about that.
“At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country.
“It doesn’t matter who calls: In my resignation statement, I said that I wouldn’t coach any country or club for a year. Some people must have missed that part. The very next day, someone called, and I said, ‘Are you crazy? I just explained that yesterday’.”
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Jurgen Klopp leads the Liverpool fans in famous fist pumps for one last time, following his final game in charge
When the moderator raised reported interest from Euro 2024 finalists England following Gareth Southgate’s resignation, Klopp said: “That would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if I said, ‘I’ll make an exception for you.’ I know how lucky I am in this situation. There are a lot of managers here and the situation where the phone doesn’t stop ringing and you can go anywhere is a fortune that few have. However, the timing couldn’t be worse to contact me.”
“I’m going to do some work”, he added. “I’m too young to only do padel tennis and grandchildren. Will that be coach again? I would actually rule that out at the moment.
“Let’s see what it will look like in a few months. Nothing is coming through at the moment.”
‘A real chance Klopp won’t be on touchline again as a coach’
ESPN’s Mark Ogden speaking on Back Pages Tonight on Sky Sports News:
“Klopp went on record on Wednesday with what people close to him have been saying for the last three or four weeks, that he really isn’t interested in working again for at least 12 months. He wants a year out and even at the end of that year he might not decide to coach again.
“There’s a real chance Klopp will not be on the touchline again as a coach, which would be a great shame because he is one of the game’s great personalities.
“But, obviously, he has ruled himself out of imminent jobs. I don’t think he was ever a contender for the England job.
“It would have been great if he was. I think he’d be a perfect fit for England, but it wasn’t for him.
“The USA job is slightly different because they host a World Cup in two years time and the US Soccer Federation actually made an approach to try and persuade him to go over there, even if it is just for a short-term appointment. He did resist that.
“However, I do think it is interesting that he said he will consider his future again in a few months time. So, maybe after a year out of the game, that American job might just appeal in the sense that there’s no pressure. You can try and get out of the group at a home World Cup and everything is in your favour. It’s also a great sporting nation.
“The salary may also not be huge but the earning potential off the field in the US for a superstar like Jurgen Klopp, it would be massive. He would be on all the chat shows and getting all the endorsements.
“I can see the US job appealing in a years time, but right now he’s made it clear he’s definitely not returning this year and definitely not jumping back into a coaching job.
“It will be interesting to see what happens with Klopp because he’s only young. He’s 57 and still got plenty of miles on the clock, but whether he wants to coach again, we’ll have to wait and see.”