Thomas Tuchel would 'absolutely adore' chance to replace Klopp at Liverpool

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·26 January 2024

Thomas Tuchel would 'absolutely adore' chance to replace Klopp at Liverpool

Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel would “absolutely adore” the chance to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but he is unlikely to be the right fit for the job and what owners FSG want because of his way of working, journalist Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT.

The Merseyside club made a shock announcement on Friday morning to say that Klopp would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season having been with the club since 2015.

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In an interview on the official club website, the German coach said a loss of energy was one of the key reasons why he had made the decision to bring an end to his contract early, with the club knowing about his plans since November.

Liverpool begin tough search to find Klopp’s successor

He will be almost impossible to replace given what he has achieved during his time at Anfield – winning the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Club World Cup – but that is now what FSG have been tasked with.

Former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso is seen as one of the early favourites for the job and has led Bayer Leverkusen to being serious title contenders in Germany this season – they are unbeaten in 18 league games this term and lie four points above Bayern Munich.

Jacobs previously told GIVEMESPORT back in November that the Spaniard was turning heads at Liverpool with how well he was doing as they began to think about a long-term succession plan to Klopp – a situation which has developed quicker than they may have thought it would just a few months ago.

Meanwhile, Dean Jones has also told us that Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton and Hove Albion could be the “outstanding candidate” who may be on the Reds’ shortlist, but there are likely to be more names and some surprises too.

One of those would certainly be Tuchel, who was sacked by Chelsea in September 2022 despite winning the Champions League in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, as well as leading them to two FA Cup finals.

The 50-year-old has since moved to Bayern Munich but recent reports have suggested he is under pressure as they continue to trail Alonso’s side, according to Bild.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about Tuchel and his prospects of replacing Klopp, Jacobs said:

“It’s funny, Tuchel’s kind of saying he’s more appreciated in England than Germany and there could be a situation where he comes into the mix, which would be a little bit of a surprise, but I think he’d return to the Premier League in a heartbeat. And I think he’d love the opportunity to go to Liverpool and then show Chelsea what they missed out on. I think he would absolutely adore that.”

However, the German may come unstuck when it comes to being in contention for the role because Liverpool and FSG know that the personality of a manager is so important in the modern era – especially at a club like the Merseyside outfit.

Jacobs added:

“Liverpool are no mugs. They’re well aware of the importance of someone’s personality and their fit outside of football coaching in this model, because even though it’s all change with manager, sporting director, FSG are still there and leading on everything. So if you’re not an FSG fit, you’re not getting that job. I’d be surprised by [Julian] Nagelsmann and that might rule out a surprise like Tuchel too. He’s not necessarily that collaborative, it’s his way or the highway, not always in an aggressive sense but it’s very much like he knows what he’s doing and he comes into a club, and it’s his culture. I think you have to walk into Liverpool and understand FSG’s culture, I think any manager needs to understand the fan culture and the club culture.”

Klopp could go out with a bang at Liverpool

With just a few months remaining the Reds boss is still in contention to leave Anfield with a quadruple.

Liverpool face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final next month while they face Norwich City at home in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, they also currently lead the Premier League table by five points from Manchester City – albeit they have played one match more – and look to be serious contenders for the title alongside Pep Guardiola’s side and Arsenal.

They are also awaiting their next draw in the Europa League, but after cruising through their group they are considered favourites to win that too – interestingly, it is also the only major trophy Klopp is yet to win since being in charge of the club and could be his final game at the helm if everything goes to plan.