Jurgen Klopp says he decided to extend his Liverpool contract until 2026 because he is “in love” with the club and all elements of his life on Merseyside.
Klopp was already committed until June 2024, but has now signed fresh terms alongside coaches Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz to stay for a further two years. The 54-year-old German succeeded Brendan Rodgers in October 2015 and has helped establish Liverpool are one of the best clubs in Europe during that time.
He has overseen five trophy wins, including the Premier League and Champions League, over the past six and a half years and could still end the current campaign with a quadruple. Klopp has been energised by his team’s recent success and, as detailed by The Mirror , feels completely at home on Merseyside.
“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,” he told the club website . “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!’ There is a freshness about us as a club still and this energises me. 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.
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“In 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. 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!”
