Jurgen Klopp has been heavily linked with the England job following the departure of Gareth Southgate. However, it has been reported that he will not be taking up the vacant position this summer.
The Three Lions made it all the way to the Euro 2024 final but once again fell short at the final hurdle, losing to Spain 2-1, having lost to Italy in the final of Euro 2020. While Southgate was unable to take that final step on the path to glory, his time in charge will see him leave as one of the finest coaches of the men’s national team.
With that in mind, and a highly talented squad to work with – featuring superstars of the present and future such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden – there will be a lot of pressure on the next man to come in. Unfortunately, it seems as though the job will not be taken up by Klopp.
Why Klopp Won’t Take England Job
The German had an incredibly successful stint with Liverpool, winning every trophy available to him (apart from the Europa League), and would be an ideal candidate for the role with his experience of English football. However, the 57-year-old quit the Reds at the end of last season, citing his need for a break as a key factor behind his decision.
It seems as though, this potential opportunity has come too early in his time away from the game for him to properly consider it. Indeed, per reporting from The Times, Klopp ‘has no intention of returning to top-level management for another 12 months.’
When he left Liverpool, he spoke about needing at least a year off and the latest update on his situation is that his position remains ‘unchanged and there is no prospect of him performing a U-turn’. Looking back at his statement upon leaving Liverpool, it’s clear to see just how fatigued Klopp was. He spoke about being tired and out of energy, saying:
“It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.”
The Times’ report does note that he could return to football in July 2025, once his sabbatical is over, leaving him time to be approached once more by the Football Association ahead of the 2026 World Cup. But it would mean qualification would have to begin with a caretaker or interim and there is no guarantee Klopp would take on the job at this stage either.
Jurgen Kliopp in the Premier League | |
|---|---|
Games | 334 |
Wins | 209 |
Draws | 78 |
Defeats | 47 |
Goals For | 714 |
Goals Against | 333 |
Honours | 1 (2019/20) |
Eddie Howe the Early Favourite
‘Open’ to the idea
Of course, for a position as big as this, there will be no shortage of candidates for the role and Eddie Howe of Newcastle appears to already be a favourite. Despite still being in charge of the Magpies, the Englishman is supposedly ‘open’ to the idea of replacing Southgate.
Other English candidates currently managing in the Premier League are Sean Dyche and Gary O’Neil. Former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter is also in the mix, and still waiting for a job after turning Ajax down.
On the other side of the coin, it will be interesting to see where Southgate ends up next, with a number of options potentially on the horizon. He could also end up working as a pundit amid reports of an opportunity with ITV being on the table already.
Stats via Premier League.