Liverpool shared the devastating news with their fans that the club’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, will retire at the season’s end 2023-24. The club must find a replacement that fits his shoes. Since arriving in the club in 2015, Klopp has gotten the club back to its glory; he surpassed all expectations. So, the question is, who are the possible top replacements for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool?
Jurgen Klopp’s Announcement
Klopp shared details about why he decided to leave on Liverpool FC’s YouTube official Channel. He said, “I can understand that it’s a shock for a lot of people when you hear it for the first time, but obviously, I can explain it—or at least try to explain it. I love absolutely everything about this club. I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take.”
Subsequently, Klopp led the Reds to win a Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup, a Community Shield, a UEFA Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup. However, he did not manage to bring in the Europa League. With the title above, he restored the glory of Liverpool that they had lost.
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Possible top replacements for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
We will look into the top 2 candidates likely to replace Klopp as the Liverpool manager.
1. Xabi Alonso
Alonso is the most likely candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp. He is a Liverpool legend, for he is their former midfielder. So, the team and the fans love him. He announced his retirement from professional football in 2017 at 35. He started his managing career in Sociedad B. Later, he took charge of Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022, taking over the team from Gerardo Seoana.
The club was second bottom in the Bundesliga table. In his first season, he guided his team to finish in position six, and they were also able to reach the semi-finals in the Europa League. In his second season, he did exemplary well. His team, Leverkusen, led the Bundesliga, four points ahead of Bayern Munich. They won in Group H in the Europa League and are in the quarter-final of the DFB-Pokal.
Xabi Alonso has been linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at #LFC https://t.co/lp2PPlGXpx
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) February 9, 2024
The astonishing thing is that within a short time after Klopp announced, Alonso was trending on social media. He is the right fit since he has already won a Champions League and FA Cup. Another advantage he has is he knows the club well since he has played for them, a requirement that the previous Reds managers can attest makes a huge difference. Lastly, at 42, he still has the energy and zeal to deal with the energetic footballers. I am sure the Reds will be happy to welcome their former number 14.
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2. Roberto De Zerbi
Alonso has improved as a team manager, and so have other team managers. One such manager is Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian coach was appointed as the Brighton Boss in September 2022. He replaced Graham Potter and surpassed expectations, for he took his team into Europe for the first time, an achievement he said was ‘more prestigious than winning the title.’
The 44-year-old left the Seagulls and joined Chelsea, leading the team to position nine in the Premier League in the previous season. In addition, he led them to position four in the early season of 2022-23. Even though he was appointed mid-season, Zebi showed prowess by leading the team to position six and their first European debut.
This season, the Seagulls, led by Zerbi, led a Europa League group with experienced teams like Marseille and Ajax. He also takes mentoring young starts very seriously. The coach mentors Evan Ferguson, Julio Enciso, and Jan Paul van Hecke.
Conclusion
Klopp has done a great job in the Reds. All we can do is hope the best for him as he starts a new chapter of his life shortly. We also hope that Liverpool will find a successor to continue building on Klopp’s legacy. As for Alonso, Zerbi, and the rest of the prospects, we wish them the very best, and may the best candidate win!
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