Following Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he would be departing Anfield at the end of the season, Liverpool will need to choose a new manager in the summer.
The 56-year-old said that he was “running out of energy” and that is why he decided to leave Liverpool at the end of the season. His contract with the Reds was set to expire in the summer of 2026.
Since Klopp’s announcement, Liverpool have been linked with Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen. But his name isn’t the only one in the picture.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, Sporting’s Ruben Amorim and a number of other managers have been linked with the Anfield job. There is a new name now who has been mentioned as Jurgen Klopp’s possible successor.
According to ESPN expert Ian Darke, Diego Simeone may be the best candidate for the position as a result of FSG’s data-driven hiring procedure.
Since December 2011, the 53-year-old has been leading Atletico Madrid. And he has made the capital club of Spain a European powerhouse.
Under Simeone, Los Colchoneros have made it to two Champions League finals and have won two La Liga crowns, two Europa Leagues, a Copa del Rey and three super-cups.
“I wasn’t suggesting for a minute that Diego Simeone should be the next manager of Liverpool, not at all,” Darke said.
“But they keep telling us it’s a data driven process measured against resources. They worked out when they hired Klopp, I think it was 12 or 14 of his 16 seasons he’s overachieved as a manager.
“If you look at Simeone, Atletico Madrid with Real Madrid and Barcelona to play, he’s got them to two Champions League finals, he’s won the title a couple of times, he’s won the Europa League, he’s operated at the top level for a decade.
“So, though you might not like his style and the perception is of an ugly dark arts team, he is a manager who’s achieved a lot.”
Simeone’s background is undoubtedly a good fit for Liverpool. Despite constant rivalry from Barcelona and Real Madrid, he is a manager who has had some success. He made a name for himself and his team when both Barca and Real were at their peak.
It is undeniable, though, that some Liverpool supporters would not be fond of his style of play if he were to take over at Anfield.
The Atletico manager is known for his defensive style of play and the Anfield faithful will not be keen to see their team play with a pragmatic approach.
Klopp’s heavy metal style of football has been a huge success at the club with fans falling in love with how their team plays with the intent of attacking all the time.
Alonso ticks a lot of boxes for the job at Anfield but if there is one thing that Simeone has and Alonso doesn’t, that is experience.
