Jürgen Klopp has said that this summer is the perfect time for a new Liverpool manager to take over and the only one impossible to follow will be Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The two main managers of modernity first division The era will meet for possibly the last time on Sunday in a match with enormous ramifications for the fate of the title.
Liverpool's resurgence on four fronts this season has reignited the rivalry with City, who are one point behind the league leaders before their visit to Anfield, and strengthened the argument that Klopp is exiting at the wrong time. The Liverpool manager, however, has a contrary opinion and believes that the team and reconnected fans he will leave behind present an ideal opportunity for his successor to win more trophies.
“After me?” said Klopp, when asked if replacing him or Guardiola was an impossible job. “No, that's not true. I understand it, but everyone involved in this club thinks and knows that this club is different. The people here are different. The people gave Bill Shankly the opportunity, and what came after Bill Shankly, and everyone is bigger than us, and people will understand in the end that it was a fantastic time and we all really enjoyed it.
“What a journey. But I am 100% sure that what they learned over the years is that if we trust and push, anything is possible. This team will attract top-level managers, 100%. The next coach will be able to play a different type of football or not, but it will get the boost from this fans. I think I came in at the right time because it got lost a little and maybe it was me who helped everyone understand again how important it is.
“The club is special. Not because of the buildings (other clubs have nice stadiums) but because of the people. It's about the people. I really think it's the perfect time for a new coach and not the wrong one because we don't win everything, we leave spaces. Go to City after Pep Guardiola and you need to be champion 10 years in a row to achieve the same.”
Klopp admits that the competition between him and Guardiola has taken their teams to heights never seen before, certainly in terms of points. But he says losing two titles by a single point to City is not a lasting regret.
The Liverpool boss said: “I know it is special (what the rivalry has produced). I know we have had moments of luck and bad luck. I'm fine with that. In those years with one point less, everyone knows that at a specific moment it could have been different. For me it doesn't minimize the joy of what we did in that particular moment.
“The outside world obviously sees it completely differently: you win or you don't win. There is no silver medal in the Premier League or the Champions League. I know it is a great achievement to reach four Champions League finals, but losing three of them will be considered from the outside. They won't write it on the tombstone: they lost three Champions League finals. Things like that are not important to me.
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“I don't consider myself a loser because I lose finals and I don't consider myself a winner because I won one. I just try to make the best of everything. Yes, these fights, having 97 points and not winning the league is incredible, and yes, we push each other. It was fun. It would have been more fun if we had won it more times, there is no doubt about that, but my opinion on it does not change whether or not I have a trophy. “It was just exceptional what the boys did and it won’t happen regularly.”
Klopp says his relationship with Guardiola is based on respect and, while the demands of their jobs leave little time for a genuine friendship, he admits they called each other when they were going through “a difficult period”. They both lost their mothers during the pandemic. Guardiola also called Klopp after the Liverpool manager announced his surprise departure. “He called and we talked, but I can't say what we said to each other,” Klopp said. “I know things you'd love to know!”
