Jurgen Klopp came out on top when fans voted in a poll for who they want to be the next England manager. The FA is on the hunt for a replacement for Gareth Southgate after the 53-year-old resigned in the wake of the Three Lions’ loss to Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
Southgate was the England manager for eight years, a stretch that included two World Cups and two European Championships. Southgate left the role having cemented his status as England’s greatest manager since 1966 World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey, having reached two Euros finals, a World Cup semi-final and a World Cup quarter-final.
Klopp Comes Out on Top in Fans’ Poll
Almost 3 in 10 England supporters want German as next boss
English managers Eddie Howe and Graham Potter have been linked with the position, as have former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino and ex-Liverpool boss Klopp. Klopp only left Anfield at the end of last season and was spotted in the stands at Euro 2024, taking in the tournament as a fan.
A poll by BBC Sport which asked fans who they would want to see appointed England’s new manager saw Klopp come out on top, with 29 per cent of the vote. Howe was the second-most-popular choice, with 19 per cent of fans voting for the Newcastle boss.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola received 15 per cent of the vote, while Potter, Pochettino and Lee Carsley received 15, 12 and eight per cent of the vote respectively. Seven per cent of voters plumped for ‘other’, while three percent voted for former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel.
Klopp and Howe Unlikely Options
Howe committed to Newcastle
The chances of Klopp becoming the next England manager appear slim. Klopp intended on taking a season-long break after leaving Liverpool following almost nine years in charge on Merseyside, and he is currently only two months into that planned break.
Klopp said fatigue was the reason behind his decision to leave Liverpool when he announced his departure, two years before the end of his contract, in January. Klopp said: “I was 100% convinced in this moment that we would go until 2026. I judged it wrong. I underestimated because I thought my energy level was endless and now it is not.”
Newcastle boss Howe also appears to have ruled himself out of the running, reaffirming his commitment to the Magpies ahead of the new season. “It is an unbelievable football club. I’m very, very proud to be the manager,” Howe told the BBC. “I love the supporters, I love the players, I love the staff. So really, there has been no thought in my mind on anything else and I have been very committed to the job here. For me, as long as I am happy and feel supported and feel free to do the work that I love to do at Newcastle, I’ll be very happy – and I am very happy.”