Klopp dismisses England links by reiterating need for rest

Jurgen Klopp has seemingly ruled himself out of the running for the England national team job. The Three Lions need a new manager after Gareth Southgate recently stepped down from the position. Southgate’s decision came after his now-former team lost the Euro 2024 final against Spain. As a result, the coach failed to deliver England a much-needed trophy.

Klopp only also recently left Liverpool on his own accord. The German stepped away from the Reds following the completion of the 2023/24 season. Although he will go down as one of the top managers in the prestigious club’s history, Klopp claimed that he was “running out of energy” and needed a break.

Despite these assertions, the German manager continues to be linked with multiple national team jobs. U.S. Soccer previously reached out to Klopp about the managerial role with the USMNT. The German politely declined the offer, citing his need for time away from the pitch. American soccer fans can only wonder what his decision could have been if the offer came at a later date.

Klopp asks for ‘a few months’ away from soccer to decide on future

Along with the USMNT, Klopp has also been linked with the England job as well. Nevertheless, the coach has now dismissed the notion that he could soon join the Three Lions. The German once again reiterated his need for time away from coaching during a recent appearance at the International Coaches’ Congress in Germany.

“At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country,” stated Klopp. “A few people must not have heard this part. And it would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if you said, ‘I’ll make an exception for you now.'”

“I’m going to do some work. I’m too young to only do pickleball and grandchildren. Will that be coach again? I would actually rule that out at the moment. Let’s see what it will look like in a few months. Nothing is coming through at the moment.”

“Maybe we can talk about it again in a few months. I still want to work in football and help people with my experience and contacts. Let’s see what else there is for me.”

Coach likely to lead a national team ahead of 2026 World Cup

Klopp’s comments will likely not end his links to managerial jobs anytime soon. Betting odds of the German taking over England have not yet been affected even after the manager’s recent comments. Despite this, Klopp certainly seems content in taking his time to decide on his future.

Nevertheless, the 57-year-old manager also clearly wants to coach again at some point. He mentioned needing just “a few months” away from the pitch multiple times in his recent speech in Germany. This means that he could very well be back on the sidelines before the end of 2024.

Klopp previously hinted that he would prefer a national team job over a club in the future. This would give the coach more freedom, while still being able to coach at a high level. National team managers have less regular day-to-day work to do compared to club coaches. While he may need time off at the moment, it is fairly likely to see the German take charge of a team at the 2026 World Cup.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.