Jurgen Klopp recently signed a new deal with Liverpool, putting pen to paper on an extension last month. Given how remarkable the Reds are performing this season and how the German boss guided them from mediocrity to the top of English and European football, both the fans and the board wish to keep their manager for the foreseeable future.
However, one Liverpool ace believes that the former Dortmund tactician could walk away from Anfield before his contract expires. That man is Jason McAteer, with the Irishman making this admission while on beIN Sports.
Klopp is under contract at Anfield until 2024 but McAteer feels he could call it quits before that due to the day-to-day demands and pressure on the coach’s shoulders. The former Liverpool pointed out that from his everyday tasks to regular business dinners with partners, Jurgen is afforded no breathing time and will thus likely burn out.
“He has a team around him, Melwood is locked down, you can't get into it. It's the hub," McAteer said on beIN Sports after the league leaders' 2-1 win over Wolves.
Concerns that the pressures of the #LFC job could take their toll on Jurgen Klopp.@MCATEER4 wouldn't be surprised if he walked away in the next couple of years!#beINPL #WOLLIV pic.twitter.com/AuHauViVpZ
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) January 23, 2020
“No [I wouldn't be surprised if he walks away]. It wouldn't surprise me, it wouldn't surprise me at all. I just think there's burnout.
“The passion he puts into it, the effort he puts into it, it's all the time.
“I've been on tour with them before, he can't move. He can't go out the hotel, he's meeting potential partners, he's going to dinners, they're putting things on, it's constant.
“The partnership side of the club, when they come in and they want something, they want to get their name out there, who do they put on the front?
“Out of all the players, first it's [Mohamed] Salah, then it's Klopp. Before [Roberto] Firmino, before [Virgil] van Dijk, before [Sadio] Mane, it's Klopp.”
Should Klopp fulfill his contract, he would become the Reds’ longest-serving manager for over four decades. Given the club’s trajectory, he could also become one of Liverpool’s most celebrated gaffers alongside the likes of Dalglish, and even Shankly and Paisley.
The Merseyside giants are well on their way to the English top-flight title and need only nine wins to be confirmed as Premier League champions for the first time in this competition’s history.
Klopp has already delivered a European title in the form of the Champions League, and should add a domestic trophy to his cabinet soon. Liverpool fans must now hope his reign lasts for long.
