Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has signed a two-year contract extension to keep him at the club until 2026.
Klopp joined Liverpool in 2015 and had previously suggested that he would take a break from management at the end of his current deal, which was set to expire in 2024.
But the German manager hinted recently that he would be willing to extend his stay at Anfield and has signed a new deal alongside assistant coaches Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz.
“There is a freshness about us as a club still and this energises me,” Klopp told Liverpool’s official website. “For as long as I have been here, our owners have been unbelievably committed and energetic about this club and it is clear that right now this applies to our future as much as I’ve ever known.”
The news will come as a huge boost to Liverpool, who have been transformed by Klopp since the 52-year-old arrived at Anfield seven years ago.
Klopp led Liverpool to a sixth European Cup in 2019 before ending the club’s 30-year wait for a league title when they won the Premier League the following season.
Klopp is now leading Liverpool on their bid for an unprecedented quadruple, with the club winning the Carabao Cup in February, through to the final of the FA Cup, two goals up on Villarreal in the Champions League semi-finals, and trailing Manchester City by one point in the Premier League title race.
Liverpool have acted swiftly after Klopp’s agent Marc Kosicke and Mike Gordon, president of owners Fenway Sports Group, were at Anfield for the club’s 2-0 win over Villarreal on Wednesday and met to discuss an extension.
“There are so many words I could use to describe how I am feeling about this news… delighted, humbled, blessed, privileged, and excited would be a start,” Klopp said.
“There is just so much to love about this place. I knew that before I came here, I got to know it even better after I arrived and now I know it more than ever before.
“Like any healthy relationship, it always has to be a two-way street; you have to be right for each other. The feeling we were absolutely right for each other is what brought me here in the first place and it’s why I’ve extended previously.
“This one is different because of the length of time we have been together. I had to ask myself the question: is it right for Liverpool that I stay longer? Along with my two assistant managers, Pep Lijnders and Pete Krawietz, we came to the conclusion it was a ‘Yes!’”
Klopp is already the longest-serving manager in the Premier League and if he were to remain at the club until 2026, he would become the longest-serving Liverpool manager since Bill Shankly.
After Liverpool’s Premier League title win in 2020, Klopp said he has been enthused by the next phase of the club’s development. The Reds have accelerated the process of refreshing and adding depth to their squad through the signings of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, and Ibrahima Konate.
The boss has a special message for you… ❤️ pic.twitter.com/T4vFwYFN9p
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 28, 2022
Klopp will also continue under sporting director Julian Ward, who will take over from Michael Edwards, a key figure off the field in Liverpool’s progress under Klopp, at the end of the season.
“In [chief executive officer] Billy Hogan and Julian Ward we have leaders throughout the club who are completely focused on renewal and refreshing so we can continue to compete at the very highest level,” Klopp added.
“We have managed to harness the best of what we have created already at the same time as injecting fresh impetus into our environment.
“The new AXA Training Centre is a superb home for us and the fact that Anfield will grow even bigger soon with the Anfield Road development, I can’t wait for that.
“We are a club that is constantly moving in the right direction. We have a clear idea of what we want; we have a clear idea of how we try to achieve it. That’s always a great position to start from.
“When the owners brought the possibility to renew to me, I asked myself the question I’ve mused over publicly. Do I have the energy and vibe to give of myself again what this amazing place requires from the person in the manager’s office?
“I didn’t need too long to answer in truth. The answer was very simple… I’m in love with here and I feel fine!”
Klopp spent seven years in each of his previous jobs at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund in Germany, so is already into his longest spell at a club as a manager.
FSG president Mike Gordon said: “It’s always hard to find the right words to adequately reflect Jurgen’s importance and contribution to our club, but today’s announcement really does speak for itself.
“Everything Jurgen has said publicly about his future previously was reflected by his words privately to us. It was about him having the inclination and desire to keep going. In this respect, it is clear he is more energised than ever.”
Source: Independent
