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| Jurgen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool, celebrates after Harvey Elliott of Liverpool scores his team’s third goal during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final between Manchester United and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford on March 17, 2024 in Manchester, England. |
Liverpool’s former manager Jurgen Klopp appears to be enjoying his break. Pictured at a range of sporting and cultural events since departing Anfield, he looks 10 years younger — but that hasn’t stopped calls for him to become the next England boss, less than two months into his planned sabbatical of at least a year.
As things stand, Gareth Southgate is still England manager. But after defeat in the Euro 2024 final, which was reached in spite of desperately underwhelming performances, the question is being asked.
In the immediate aftermath of the loss, Southgate said he would take time to think about it and speak to certain people. But if there is to be a vacancy, there are already people publicly in Klopp’s corner.
Klopp has already turned down one national job, politely declining the chance to coach the USMNT after Gregg Berhalter left in the wake of Copa America disappointment. But Gary Lineker became one of the first to make the inevitable England shout, saying the FA should go “all out”:
“[Southgate was] the right person to bring the nation together and now maybe it’s time for somebody else with a more modern, attacking style of football,” said Lineker on The Rest is Football. “I think the game has gone away from being successful if you’re defensive.
“Do you go English? There’s only really Eddie Howe. Say Gareth does call it a day? I suspect he will, it must be so tough, demanding, so hard.
“If you go English, we mentioned, somebody maybe like Lampard, who would get respect. But wouldn’t you go all out for Jurgen Klopp?”
Micah Richards then suggested that Pep Guardiola should also be in the frame. But Lineker pointed out that Klopp is currently out of work, meaning the FA would not need to directly compete with the salary he earned at Liverpool, and speculated that the break the German has enjoyed may have left him refreshed enough to take on a new challenge.
And former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has echoed those thoughts. He told TopOffshoreSportsBooks he is “pretty sure” England will make an approach, even if it means working around the sabbatical.
“Jurgen Klopp wants to take a year off and the German national team manager role is taken, but I’m pretty sure England will approach Klopp when the tournament is over,” Hamann declared. “I think a lot of people would be very happy if he were to take over the national team.
“He said he’s taking a sabbatical so is it possible to wait for six months or maybe let him take over next summer? There are a few qualifiers but qualifying has always been pretty comfortable for England.
“I think they will ask him whether he wants to do it and then it’s up to him whether he would accept it or not, Thomas Tuchel might be interested as well. Years ago it would have been hard to imagine a German manager in England but the chances have never been better than it’s going to happen in the next few months.”
Liverpool.com says: If nothing else, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s prospects in an England jersey would immediately improve! But it seems bordering on delusional to think that Klopp would take the national team job at this time.
He’s been very clear about wanting a proper break, and that has to be respected. He’d also surely prefer to coach Germany than England, although he has become very familiar with football in this country over the years.
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