Jurgen Klopp Leaving Liverpool FC – Press Conference Live

Jurgen Klopp and club CEO Billy Hogan speak to the media after the shock announcement that he will leave Liverpool FC at the end of the season.

00:00 Decision to leave
05:15 Telling the players
08:40 His successor?
10:30 Hogan on Jurgen
14:12 Energy levels
21:30 No club, no country for a year
22:55 Replacing Klopp
24:25 When Ferguson resigned then stayed
26:40 Message to fans
32:50 Coaches also leaving

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Hello good afternoon as you can see we have Club Li manager and CEO Billy Hogan um going to try and get through as many questions we can today if you could raise your hand and wait to be asked and then EV elector please let us know who

You are and and which company represent Peter pet Sky you good afternoon good to see you um you love your football you love the club you love Liverpool so why are you so convinced this is the right decision for you oh I thought I said that in the in

The other what is it statement or interview of whatever we had um with all the responsibility you have in this job and and these kind of things you have to be Absolut top of your own game that’s how it is and I am um while I’m doing this for 24 years years now

And I said that before when you have the career I have had or have I want to see that um it’s pretty much impossible to to be start where I start and and arrive at Liverpool but if it’s if it becomes possible then it’s just because you absolutely invested everything you had

And that’s what I always did was never a problem and I realized um that this is that my my my my resources are not endless and um I I preferred to pack absolute everything in this season and then um have a break or whatever or have to

Stop and and these kind of things because it’s you you realize it yourself you’re in a similar age it’s um we are no young rabbits anymore and we don’t jump as high as we we did and all these kind of things and that’s um that’s how

It is and that’s why I been been and it was not I didn’t think about it on purpose and let’s have think how would it be just happened and then I started thinking um about it and that was the moment when I knew um this club especially with the team we

Have with all the the the the super things we have in this club this club needs on top of that a manager and it’s top game um and it’s top level and when I cannot be that anymore then I have to tell the people that 100% the other situation would have

Been we going the next season and I realiz and then I knew it before and get into it and try to get somehow through it that’s not how it should be and that’s why I told first the club the decision then my coaches the decision and since today everybody knows it

Um and that’s it that I love everything so much and I think everybody believes me that it’s the case and still think it’s the right thing to do can sh tell you I did I don’t take these kind of things lightly so I’m convinced it’s right and that’s why I said

It hiow BBC it’s obviously a big announcement what are your emotions today how do you feel is a sense of sadness or perhaps Rel yeah it’s the relief was there and I made a decision for myself to be honest that that was another thing I realized

So I didn’t know that that it would have would be the case but it was like that um today it’s mixed it’s mixed but it’s not I’m not as emotional as I will be when it comes to an end finally uh because I spoke today to the players so

Let me say the two important things I had to do was to tell our our our of course have to tell the owners that’s clear but then to tell our supporters and to tell the players and I don’t know 100% about direction of supporters but the direction of the players was was was

Top just um it was really good we know each other so long um that I know I don’t say things like that and and walk away or stuff like this so I am here and I’m fully here and by the way today I answer 500,000 question if you want but

That’s it then so until the end of the season because we have so many other things to do and I’m fully in that I’m fully in that so there’s not a lot of emotion here I had a lot of some talks the last days when I had to tell other

People slightly earlier than I tell the public um and there were some tears and stuff like this but um that’s normal after such a long time together uh but besides that it’s just the right thing to do and I’m convinced as well in the right moment because the club needs time

To um to plan the future while we are salting the pres and um and that’s exactly what will happen now and from that point of view the emotions will come up relief is not there as well anymore because I I I knew before how I feel about it um

Yeah Julie jul from BBC Radio M side when you spoke to the players and and they asked you the questions probably that we’re all asking today how did you ensure with them or what was the message about making sure this isn’t a distraction because he’s still fighting on foref front

The players didn’t have a lot of questions I spoke to the players alog together then I spoke to a few players after that the players we are a really we have a really strong bond a really strong bond so they didn’t ask questions yet there’s no question because we are

Professionals and the agreement you have with a team from both sides is you agree for one year so after that everything can the manager during the year the manager can get the sack but the players usually the CRI and be have from a club point of for one year even after five

Six your contract because after a year you play much better then the player wants new contract you play not as good as you want and might want to sell you but for a year usually you have a real agreement and we are completely in that

Year and um the boys are and the boys see it exactly like that you I think we had cameras out there for the training session after that and you could see the boys are in a really good mood and it was not that there was that

Were um getting up and and having a party when I told them but it was because it was just an announcement I told them that the the it’s different to other situations usually when a manager is in a dressing room and talks about that he got sacked and just says goodbye

And um that wouldn’t have happened here because of the things we reached with each other uh and and and Achieve with each other and that’s why my responsibility was so was so big in that and I have to constantly always think about and and and and have a review is

It still right because there was no chance we had last year situation in the season I think a lot of managers would have got the SAG because we had a really bad spell and three four years ago and all these kind of things there was never

Any intention to do that and that always let my my respons grow and grow and grow to make sure okay when it’s not right anymore I have to tell because nobody else will tell um and that’s what I said to the players as well besides that the

Disruption I understand it’s I think of a lot of um people from the outside who are not with us uh will be happy blah blah blah stuff like this um it’s your job to ask questions uncomfortable questions whatever that the destruction comes from outside and but to get

Destructed you always need two parts one who destructs and the other one who let it happen and we will not let it happen so that’s a plan and if you want we can grow even more together in this situation and um that’s 100% the aim of

Of the players and me and how we said to to to try to squeeze everything out of that season we don’t know there’s no guarantee there was before no guarantee that we will win anything this season and there is now no guarantee but just

The the fact that I said I will not be the manager for next year it’s not an excuse to to do a step less or whatever so we will be completely in it and we will fight for everything I’m here with 100% And that’s a good news I just know

I cannot do the job in the future but I can do it very well um right now and that’s what I um will do Stuart from PLP um will you have any role to play in deciding do your successor is or will you have will you

Advise no why should I so that’s very important look in in that in this world we have you have a few in football especially you have a few faces most of the time is the manager of the club and um people like Billy or others who do an incredible job

You don’t see that often so that’s just how you live this kind of business in ter slightly different but here it is like that so that it looks like that I do all the work I don’t I don’t I can’t and I don’t and that means all the what

We built over the last eight and a half years is an incredibly strong structure behind the scenes so everything goes in the right direction so that’s a good news that’s one the reasons why I can leave because responsibility my responsib so big my idea was always to

Put everything in place and help with everything that be that this club gets stronger and stronger and stronger and we did that to Perfection now but as good as we could um that means so many people work here and will with only one idea to find a perfect solution for

Liverpool FC and I’m pretty sure that will happen and the last thing they need is a is an advice from the old man walking out and tell them by the way make sure you take him bring him him in or whatever and I will definitely not do

That um like you know most for most of the things I have an opinion and you will not believe to most of the things I still didn’t say anything so um I have no problem with that I wish for the future this club just the very very very

Very very best and U for now I’m still here and can help them to achieve the best possible I got follow Billy can I just ask you from from a board point of view how how significant is a moment is this because you’re losing a man who’s who’s had a great n

Years yeah I think that’s probably hard to put into words how significant it is um and I think uh when Jurgen joined us in 2015 he talked about um leaving the club in a better place than than he found it and um I think if you look at

Where we are today versus where we were when when when he joined us there’s absolutely no doubt that that he’s done that um and as he just said uh he’s going to be here for several more months so um I think from our perspective obviously the news is uh is sad as I’m

Sure a lot of a lot of our supporters share that emotion um you know he and I have had a number of conversations over the course of the last several weeks and um I think the the first time that we had a chat about his decision um you know from a a professional

Standpoint but also from a personal standpoint we’ve worked alongside each other for the last almost nine years and I could see from my perspective knowing him as I do that this was a decision that that he had come to and that he was absolutely comfortable with and believed in and

When your colleague and friend comes to a decision like that then that’s something that you support and respect are you surprised uh yeah of course um I uh but at the same time I also you know I think he said in the in the video the other

Day uh sorry last night that uh that really this is about um everyone sees what happens from from the outside but the amount of work uh and pressure and um as he said he’s been doing this for 24 years um so surprised in a sense but ALS so I understand it

And um as I said it’s it’s obviously it’s a a sad day but it’s also one that a credit to Jurgen he’s you know he’s come to the decision he wanted to give the club the opportunity to go through what will be an orderly process um and

That’s not easy to do if uh if this news is in public so um we will go through that process and as we have done in the past P um the same process that that brought us urgen um almost 9 years ago and and that’s something that we will do

Uh we will do in private that will be done um with the as Jurgen said the people that are here our ownership Mike Gordon in particular um will be uh will be a part of that process and um when we get to a place where we have further

News on that then we can discuss it at that point but it’s not going to be something that’s going to be a a run commentary um we prefer to at this club we prefer to operate um when we’re ready to talk about things we will and until

That point um we won’t and we won’t talk about other people and we won’t get into the name game um this is really an announcement that Jurgen um and we are making and uh after today we are focused on the campaign ahead uh and the opportunity that we

Have and competing on on four fronts and and making the 2324 campaign something that uh supporters can look back on with uh with enjoyment Carl Carl Mar pa um when you came back after the summer you said you were re-energized and refreshed did you you gen believe that

Was the case or were you trying to convince yourself that was the case no in a sense it was definitely exactly like that the the the reason for that was um oh the summer was a difficult summer so it was really difficult summer it was

Not that um we had a lot of time to to put the legs on the on the table so we were working really hard um to to bring in the the right players um when it happened them it looked like we okay we got them now that was the moment when it

Was really okay let’s go for it but and then we had the training the the the the summer we had and the preparation we had was absolutely outstanding and and realizing how good this team can be that of course gave me um a lot of Joy especially so but it’s not it’s not

About that it’s um how I said I I in this moment I love each minute love the team how how we react in different moments and all these kind of things it’s just the the stuff what you have to do next to it as well that’s that’s really a lot like

Planning you might think the transfer window is the transfer window and around that nothing happens but actually the transfer window is the one where sometimes decision not the decision is made before you try to make them who we go for stuff like this but trans it’s just the moment when

Then you can finally finalize it so the work around planning preseason all these kind of things there you need to be spot on as well because it’s really important and then I realized that’s not that’s that’s something I cannot I I did it so often I had six press conference a week

Since it it’ss like nine years pretty much we played International Football honestly I have no problem with you but I I I can’t wait for the moment when I don’t have to do that anymore there’s so many things in this job where just think oh again so and that’s you have to

Be the best version of yourself you have to and especially for a club like Liverpool which because I know it’s so it means so much and it’s so important for so many people I cannot do it on three wheels I just it was not allowed

And I don’t never want it to be a passenger in all that it’s it’s the the my my managering skills obviously so many better managers out there but I’m it’s based on energy on emotion on on on relationships and all these kind of things and that takes all of you that’s just

How it is it needs all of you and um and in the moment you think okay they can’t do it like that anymore then you can do it maybe a little bit different or I who I am and I’m where I am because how I am

So with all the good and the bad things it it is and there cannot be that anymore or stop it and tell the people that’s how I understand it I didn’t stop I didn’t say it after one year I didn’t say it after two years not after three

Not after four when after five when it was difficult stuff like this was not one time a little idea it was not my idea when I signed a new contract I was 100% convinced in this moment we will go until 2026 100% but how can I I underestimated I didn’t or judged it

Wrong I thought my My Level my energy level is endless because it always was and now it’s not yeah and then we have to change jgen Cameron pop from talksport jgen there can be no argument you’ve had extraordinary success with this football club is there one moment from your

Tenure you can look back on more fondly than any other and equally do you Le Liverpool Football Club with any regrets now when I’m not in a mood to think about that to be honest I do that here today because it had to be done but

I’m not in I don’t I’m not in a I don’t want to don’t have to remember anything now the best in my idle world the best memories are still to come to be honest um so let me say like that so I’m not in that mood there are so many moments that

I would anyway probably mention the wrong one um because I’m not prepared um so but that’s not about today I have no regrets so far I have now have a lot of special memories nothing to mention today we are here to tell to answer your questions actually because I thought the most important

People know already so to our supporters who want to watch it could watch it and who want to the players know it so that’s done for me but of course I do that today as well um and it’s absolutely fine but it’s nothing to add on really and we can clarify things we

Can speak about I saw not only this morning surprisingly when it came out and Jose Enrique which I like a lot and he’s obviously has a big Liverpool hard but he said whatever I say I think that’s what I understood whatever I say it’s still about FSG and I can tell you

Jose it’s not nothing to do with it so my this time what I had would be so easy in this job to just blame the owners and say yeah we would have won more trophies if FSG would have spent more I was I always happy with each

Second what we did exactly no but it was absolutely fine this club is so different how B said because we built two stands which will last forever they will stay there if there’s not an earthquake they will stay there so in the stadium is wonderful we built this

AA training ground where you are wonderful this will stay for the next 30 40 50 years wonderful everything said we did what we did properly that’s really important we did the Liverpool way what I loved so and that we didn’t win with 97 points and we didn’t win the

Champions League final it had nothing to do with that one play was not in or would have spent for another one 120 I understand 100% that’s a fan view fine a professional view can never be like that it just can’t so my job if you blame anybody for not winning the champions

League three times more often probably yeah it’s me it’s my job to to make that happen to work with the team um we have and not winning becoming champ with 97 and I even forgot the next number what was that 94 some like that it’s me nobody else because everybody brought

Brought us to that point 97 points is exceptional having a team who can gain 97 points exceptional having a team who can qualify for the champy exceptional so had nothing to do with that yes it was super intense super intense and I cannot tell you if losing a final is

More intense than winning a final because I didn’t win a final that often so I can tell you losing a final is super intense so and that obviously over the years added on yeah it’s like a tree few more Rings stuff like this you have

Them and at one point um you have to make sure you get AR rest and um again what I said yesterday doing the job for 24 years I arrived here as a normal guy I I in my understanding I am dead still 100% And I never lived a life I never

And I want that as well that’s true but I never wanted that that much that I had to think about it I just want this three four weeks in a summer somehow is fine but it’s not anymore so and whatever will happen in the future I don’t know

Now I don’t know now but no Club No Country for the next year no other English Club ever I can promise that even if I have nothing to eat that will not happen so um and that will not happen as well by the way so um thanks to Liverpool

Um and um and so that’s all that’s all okay but it’s too important to do it with 50% it is just too important and that’s why and this team is set up for the future when I said Liverpool 2. nil that didn’t include me obviously for the

Next 10 years so but the team is there the basis is there and whoever comes in cannot give anybody a guarantee to win trophies but can give as a good chance to play really good football and that’s fine because we will get a top manager here and then

There will be good football and what we all learned and improved and did in the last few years and this changing from doubters to Believers and staying believing in difficult moments if we keep all that then it is a wonderful future ahead and that’s all I want and I

Want not be the passenger who who who who uh is disturbing that process Mark Billy Mark just in terms of the process of reping you have a time SC in place in terms of the Season or respect in terms the team has to do what they have to do before the season

Finish know to the but do you have a Target in mind an ideal success yeah know Mark appreciate the the the question I think from our perspective I wouldn’t want to set an expectation number one um because this is a process that we need to go through

Um as I said it’s a process that we have gone through in the past um the way we operate as a football club is uh is to ensure that we’ve looked at all the information uh all the data uh we’ve done our proper due diligence um and

Then we’ll make a decision and we’ll have an announcement at that time so uh I understand the question but uh I can’t commit to a timeline on it um it will go on in the background uh and you can be sure that we’ll be doing everything we

Possibly can to make as uran said the right decision for the for the future of this Football Club um that’s the way we’ve always operated uh and that’s the way we’ll operate through this process um but at the same time it’s not to be a distraction this

Is about making sure that this campaign continues um and that the team can continue to perform um and as I said when we have something to say we’ll we’ll have something to say at that point and to the guardian yeah Alex Ferguson once announced that he was

Stepping down at the end of the season changed his mind halfway through you could is there anything that could happen Ste down twice just sorry go I didn’t know that Alex stepped down and then change his mind he said he was stepping down at the end of the season

And changed his mind halfway through you could show to sabatical uh to take a Liverpool job is there anything that could happen over the next four months winning the league win the Europa League that could re-energize you and make you change your mind no no no not

Alex really didn’t um um no nothing I I respect Alex a lot I don’t know what he what dri what drove him that time um no I I really thought a lot about that how I said the situation was always clear because of our relationship we have um in the club was always

Clear um I have to make the decision at one point because nobody else would have it’s just like the trust and and and and the respect we had for each other and that and that the owners knew as well I would take the decision when I because I don’t

Want to hanging around and and and and doing a job somehow um so that why know I thought it through um properly and actually I I want to I want everything this season that wouldn’t change my mind and if if we don’t win anything it wouldn’t change my mind um it’s

Just it’s a decision I made independent of any kind of results M A big one is the potential of the team they really see they that’s a good basis it’s a really good basis not not more not more so we are not better than other teams or

Whatever but we have a good basis to work with and that’s really that’s really important and um that’s why U it’s a good moment to to give it to somebody else the fans are obviously very upset that you’re leaving what’s your main message to the fans between

Now I I like what I said yesterday or okay you saw it this morning like I I really hope you can accept the decision that’s how it is and um and besides that it’s not I’m not in a mood for for um saying thank you even I should have five

Million times um and will do that these things will all happen now it’s the rest of the season now it’s we all know the outside world want to Destructor that’s clear opponents want to take each opportunity to to to make you weaker stuff like this all about us and I said

Yesterday and and would like say it would be really cool because there’s no misunderstanding of my feelings towards our supporters or the other way around there’s no there’s I think there’s everything clear we don’t have to make these or we should not make these games about me that’s really important so we

Need all the support for all the games starting day after tomorrow then Wednesday then Saturday or Sunday I don’t I don’t know so like a lot of games coming up and we need that and we want that and that’s it let’s squeeze everything out of the season that’s the

Message hi y Richard Jolie from the Independent you mentioned a couple of times about wanting to go back and do normal things um needed bit of a normal life anything particular no I don’t know how normal life is so I have to figure out yeah when you took over the job did you

Expect it to be as fun as intense and maybe as tiring as it is it was not tiring it’s intense it is now it’s my my fault not the job’s fault so um I expect it I had no clue what I can expect I I knew about the size of the

Club but uh that’s all I knew and all the rest was is about the people working here the people we are doing it for um how can you know that before you experience it because you feel it before you feel it you cannot know it this is

The best club in the world it’s outstanding um everything about it um being an honorable scous is probably I would have known that before but it’s probably one of the best thing I could have ever achieved in my life um it’s absolutely outstanding um and the way these

People deal with difficulties is a role model for me um and I learned so much here so I didn’t think about how it would be but it was a lot of fun and E still so I I was said I I understand it’s kind of bit of a a misunderstanding

Or not 100% clear for you because you have so many questions I answer them said it before but I’m not in a mood to for recup how was that how was that no no no we have enough time for that um I could talk now about norch if you if I’m

100% honest but I I get it that that you are now today not too interested in that uh but that is my my main concern after we leave this room and um that’s what everybody can expect from me and that’s what I will deliver until the last day 100% Chris hey chis comp

Take you agree that that is a fair comparison um yeah I think um we were talking about it earlier I had a conversation with my son who said I thought he was going to manage forever so um I can understand the the the impact um and as he said you know the

The shock um and uh we’ll have the the right time and and the right opportunity to um as Ur said to look back and to talk about his career um obviously the the ride that we’ve been on um has been extraordinary and certainly his success leadership who he is as a person

Charisma um but you know the relationships as he said that that have been created um the team that’s been built here is uh obviously a massive credit to him and um we’re all in a position as I said where you know we want to get through today and uh and we

Want to focus on getting back to to playing and getting on the pitch and winning football matches um but in terms of you know his impact obviously it’s uh it’s been enormous and as a as a colleague it’s been an incredible last eight plus years and as a supporter as a

And it’s been equally so so um we hope that that continues we’ve got as he said we’ve got targets ahead of us and that’s where we’re our focus is going to be anyt to that experience yeah I think um I mean jury may want to comment on this as well but

I think from a from an overall perspective the the decision that was taken at the time um number one I think for um for Pep and vtor want to get going in their managerial careers um and so I think that’s something that um you know we understood as well um and

They’ll be obviously they will go They’re not going today uh they will go with our um with our support and anything we can possibly do to help their career going forward we will of course do um and uh you know the as I said the the team that uran has built is

An incredibly strong one but there’s also a huge team around that that group as well that uh that will be here to help in terms of that experience level as well so it’s like that that um I will take the uh the Break um but the other

Boys are so and ready let me say like that if somebody’s ready and if somebody can say that and it’s me they are ready the impact the boys had over the years and especially uh the impact P had in the last few years on the football we

Play is second to none and it’s absolutely incredible so I know that I have to be very uh thankful and grateful to him and I am I am because he gave me um so many new vision and um and helped me develop over the last years I’m pretty

Sure I could help him a little bit as well but and and that’s the idea between when you work that closely together so they will go for it and I will support it from wherever I am um and will’ll follow it closely and um enjoy that a lot because I know that

Will be uh there’s a lot to expect from the boys James pleas yeah James we have you mentioned before about OB when the meetings were going on about pre-season you thought you’re not sure you’ve got it in you to go again was that the moment then or was

There another moment when you were absolutely convinced this was the right decision no it was pretty much the first time and it that starts extremely early playing the Bri so stuff like this and obviously I knew I knew that the last year was so this so last season and when

Was it 3 years ago s half disase I think you can count them easily as dog years like that’s really it’s really it’s really big um to to get through this um all that stuff um you might have the opportunity to to to look at a picture when I arrived here

2015 if you make a picture of me today you would say 9 years only so uh a lot of things happened obviously since then um yes it was the first time actually when I when when I realized because I’m usually the leading part of these meetings why okay

That’s how we do it somebody comes to me and said okay we have to do this or that and I have to beat around and then I’m the one who says okay in that moment we can do that here we don’t do it blah blah blah and I couldn’t I was like like

Okay what what about the proposals what came we do that was the first moment so um we still planned it so whoever comes is fine we’ll be fine with the preseason because we had to um in the best in the best sensible in the most sensible way

100% so that’s fine uh but that was the moment I started thinking and then I had was nothing else then the football we played became better and better and better the team the potential of the team was more and more obvious um and that was another moment when I thought

Okay that’s it so come on uh that with um a proper push a really good manager um with is on top of his game that will be fun to watch and I will do that hold on just one thing just curious is the one thing you’re looking forward

To doing most when you when you finish uh no I have not didn’t think about that yet because I had actually no time to do that um but I will find things who can believe it um so that is nobody has to worry about that okay thank you very much thank you