LIVERPOOL, England — Jurgen Klopp shocked the soccer world by announcing he would step down as Liverpool manager at the end of this season.
Klopp was appointed as manager in October 2015 and led Liverpool to the Champions League and Premier League titles during his tenure.
He announced Friday that he was “running out of energy.”
“I will be leaving the club at the end of the season. I can understand that many people are shocked the moment they hear these words for the first time, but obviously I can explain it, or at least try to explain it. We can do that,” Klopp said.
“I love everything about this club. I love everything about this city. I love everything about the supporters. And I love the team. I love the staff. I love everything.'' The fact that I'm making it probably means I'm convinced it's a decision I have to make. It's me – how can I say it? – running out of energy. That's what it means.”
Klopp's status as a Liverpool icon has been cemented by returning the club to the top of European football and ending a 30-year wait for an English league title in 2020.
His decision comes as a surprise considering he has recently rebuilt the team and Liverpool are currently leading the league.
Liverpool advanced to the English League Cup final on Wednesday and are in contention for four trophies this season.
Before leaving, Klopp said he did not want his announcement to distract from his goal.
“Come on, let's get serious,” he said. “The outside world wants to take advantage of this decision and somehow have a laugh. They want to get in our way. We are Liverpool.
“Let's make that a strength. That's cool. Let's squeeze everything out of this season so we can have a different smile when we look back in the future.”
Liverpool also announced that assistant managers Pepin Lijnders and Peter Krawitz and elite development coach Vitor Matos will leave their positions at the end of the season.
