Spain move, Dortmund offer – All of Jurgen Klopp’s next job hints as Liverpool icon set for return

Jurgen Klopp is taking a break from football after leaving Liverpool with plenty of intrigue over what comes next for the former Reds boss

Jurgen Klopp is currently taking a break from football as he plots his next move. The German left Liverpool this summer after almost a decade as Reds boss, citing the need for some time away from the game.

Klopp’s final game in charge of the Reds came in a 2-0 win over Wolves on the final day of last season. Arne Slot has since succeeded the 57-year-old and has got off to the perfect start with three wins out of three in the Premier League.

Following his departure from Liverpool, Klopp has been enjoying some downtime. Whether it’s attending a Taylor Swift concert at Anfield this summer or making an appearance at the recent Paralympics, he’s certainly seizing his break. Just last week, Klopp was spotted in the crowd at Paris’ Porte de la Chapelle Arena, cheering on a friend in a badminton match.

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But what comes next for the legendary German manager? Below, Echo Sport have taken a look at everything Klopp has said about his future after leaving Liverpool…

Next move

Quizzed back in May on his next move he told Liverpool’s website: “Holiday. (The) Champions League final with Dortmund, I got invited, so we will watch that. It’s not that I tried a lot (previously to go on holiday), so I didn’t have time. I had time but a summer holiday for me at least at the end of the season was like falling on the first available sunbed and having a phone here and talking to agents, sporting directors, stuff like that.

“Having no training sessions, yes, but the rest was pretty much still going on. So that means I didn’t see one per cent of the world for nothing. Now we will do nothing, we will watch the Euros here and there, (I’m) really looking forward to that and then a holiday doing nothing and then the plan is starting to travel and we will see how that goes.”

Spain hint

Klopp hinted in May that he would take a year or so out of management and has moved to the Spanish island of Majorca having purchased a villa there.

Speaking to the Willipedia podcast (via BILD), Klopp said of his decision to move to Spain: “I’ve dreamed of having a house in the south all my life. I like the weather, the climate, I like the people.

“There are lots of things I like here and also people I already know. It’s not like I’m looking for new friends. I already have friends for life, and if some of them are here too, that’s cool.”

Asked of his plans to return to the game, Klopp added: “It’s out of the question that I’ll stop working altogether. But I don’t see myself continuing at the same pace as before at the moment.”

Premier League decision

Speaking ahead of his departure from Liverpool, Klopp admitted that he could never manage another Premier League club due to his deep-rooted connection to Liverpool. He said: “What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent.

“That’s not possible. My love for this club, my respect for the people is too big. I couldn’t. I couldn’t for a second think about it. There’s no chance. This is part of my life, we are part of the family, we feel home here. There’s no chance to do that.” However, on his future, he admitted that he “cannot just sit around” and that he will look to return to the beautiful game at some point.

He added: “I will find something else maybe to do. But I will not manage a club or a country at least for a year, that’s not possible, I cannot do that and I don’t want to. That’s all. It’s such a strange situation because I have to explain that I don’t have energy anymore, but now I’m sitting here and I have energy and I’m buzzing for everything that’s happening here.”

England stance

Klopp admitted in July that he wanted no part of the newly vacated England job, explaining that he had no official offer on the table anyhow. He told media at the International Coaches’ Congress in Wurzburg: “At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country. England? That would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if I said I’ll make an exception for you.”

Dortmund return

Klopp is set for an emotional return to Borussia Dortmund’s touchline after being offered the chance to take charge of his old side for a special testimonial match. The former Reds boss will make a one-day comeback at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday, September 7, to honor two of his former charges – Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski.

Klopp’s status as a Dortmund legend is undisputed, and his upcoming appearance this weekend is highly anticipated. The buzz was fuelled further by a cheeky social media video last month, where Piszczek playfully suggested to Blaszczykowski: “Kollega, we have a farewell game, do you know that? We need a coach and I have an idea, we’ll call the retired coach.”

Klopp burst onto the scene donning a pair of slick black sunglasses and quipped: “You finally have your farewell game. Oh my god. And you want to train, are you stupid?”

He then playfully dismissed questions about his managerial role in the match stating: “I couldn’t care less. I do it like I used to, I start thinking about it five minutes beforehand.”