The news that Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season was received with shock and surprise from all quarters on Friday.
After nine years at Anfield, the German has decided to call it a day after running out of the energy required to do the job to the best of his ability.
A heartfelt and genuine message to the club’s supporters was clearly an emotional thing for him to do, but it appeared he felt that he owed it to everyone to be truthful and honest about his reasons for going.
A message to Liverpool supporters from Jürgen Klopp. pic.twitter.com/l7rtmxgOzt
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 26, 2024
Talk of who is to replace him in the hot-seat has, perhaps unsurprisingly, overtaken social media chatter and kept the headline writers busy overnight.
Many of those managers who have been in opposition to him have paid tribute to Klopp, with Pep Guardiola, having a playful dig at the German.
“I am a little bit [shocked],” he said after Man City’s FA Cup win at Tottenham, quoted by The National.
“He’s an absolutely incredible manager and I know I don’t know him closely but he’s an incredible person as well.
“I had a feeling that he’s leaving part of us too at Man City as Liverpool have been our biggest rival in his years. Personally, he has been my biggest rival from when he was at Dortmund and I was at Bayern Munich
“He will be missed, personally I will miss. I am pleased because without him I will sleep a little bit better the night before we play against Liverpool! But I wish him all the best. He doesn’t admit it but he will be back.
“All the managers will [feel tired] when you’ve done many years, I feel it completely. I felt it at Barcelona so I understand it completely.”
Indeed, the rivalry between Liverpool and City over the past few seasons has often been a joy to watch, with the matches between the two sides often providing moments of footballing magic.
With both teams sat in first and second place in the Premier League at present, we could be about to witness one of the greatest ever title races to take place.