Where next for Jürgen Klopp? 5️⃣ possible destinations | OneFootball

Jürgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool is almost over.

The German confirmed on Friday that he will be standing down at the end of the season after almost nine years at Anfield.

But what are Klopp’s options going forward, and where will the charismatic coach end up next?

Germany national team

It’s been a fairly open secret that the German Football Federation (DFB) have been desperate to land Klopp for some time now.

After Hansi Flick’s disastrous spell in charge of the national team, the DFB hired youngster Julian Nagelsmann on a short-term contract last year as the nation heads towards a home European Championships.

Everything seems to be pointing towards the former Bayern Munich boss leaving post-tournament, paving the way for Klopp to take over the reins of the national team.

The Liverpool coach has already admitted in public that he is “running out of energy” on Merseyside, so what better way to slightly recharge than leaving behind the day-to-day pressure of club management and opting instead for Die Mannschaft.

Real Madrid

Klopp may be “running out of energy” at Liverpool but would the 56-year-old be revitalised by taking on the challenge of managing arguably the world’s biggest club?

Carlo Ancelotti’s future at Los Blancos has been up in the air for some time now, with persistent rumours of a clean break in the summer quashed by him recently signing a new two-year contract.

Reports last year that the Italian would take over the Brazil national team were ultimately unfounded but that hasn’t stopped countless column inches being written about his potential exit from Santiago Bernabéu.

We all know that president Florentino Peréz has a fairly liberal hire-and-fire policy and with Klopp now officially on the market, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Spanish giants make an attempt to land the Reds boss in the not-too-distant future.

Perhaps after a year or two off, a new country, culture and lifestyle could be just what Klopp needs after nearly a decade in the Premier League.

Barcelona

Everything written about Real Madrid in the previous section can equally be applied to Barcelona.

The Catalan club are going through their own existential crisis at the moment, struggling to keep pace with LaLiga leaders Girona and Real Madrid, and also being knocked out of the Copa Del Rey by Athletic Bilbao.

Xavi may be a legend on the pitch for the Camp Nou side but his managerial exploits have left something to be desired with plenty of reports in Spain pondering whether the former midfielder will see out of the season.

There is perhaps no more romantic club in all of Europe than Barcelona, with Johann Cruyff and his legacy such a firm foundation block for the modern club.

Surely Klopp would love a chance to build on Cruyff’s – and Pep Guardiola’s – stunning success in the shadow of Sagrada Familia?

Borussia Dortmund

They say you should never go back but after seven years at Borussia Dortmund between 2008 and 2015, a return must surely be circling in Klopp’s mind.

The Schwarzgelben have struggled this season under coach Edin Terzić with the former assistant never really shaking off the substitute teacher vibe since his permanent hiring in 2022.

This summer could be the perfect opportunity for Dortmund to re-establish their place in the German football firmament by appealing to Klopp’s more nostalgic side and attempting to lure him back to Signal Iduna Park.

It may sound crazy but weirder things have happened.

Retirement

Could “running out of energy” mean that Klopp takes the ultimate break from coaching and never manages again?

One thing is for certain – the German tactician won’t be treading the boards in the Premier League.

“What I know definitely — I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent,” he told Liverpool’s official website after the announcement.

“That’s not possible. My love for this club, my respect for the people is too big. I couldn’t. I couldn’t for a second think about it. There’s no chance.”

Klopp went into some more detail in the same interview though, conceding that this could well be him bowing out of the game for good.

“If you ask me, ‘Will you ever work as a manager again?’ I would say now, no. But I don’t know obviously how that will feel because I never had the situation.”

What seemed impossible just 24 hours ago could well be on the cards now.