Football News

Jurgen Klopp explains why he’s signed a new five-year Liverpool contract

By CJ Smith

Published: 11:49, 13 December 2019

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has signed a new contract with the Reds, keeping him at the club until 2024.

The German tactician has enjoyed immense success with the Merseyside giants since joining the club in 2015, winning the 2019 Champions League title having lost the final in 2018.

Klopp’s new Liverpool deal: Five things to know…

  • Klopp joined Liverpool from Borussia Dortmund in 2015.
  • The German guided the Reds to League Cup, Europa League and Champions League finals during his first three seasons at the club, but lost them all.
  • But Liverpool beat Tottenham to win last season’s Champions League and finished second in the Premier League.
  • The Reds are currently eight points clear of Leicester City atop the Premier League table.
  • And Klopp says this new deal is a “statement of intent” at what is to come from the club.

Klopp also guided the Reds to second in the Premier League last season with 97 points — the third-highest total in competition history — while Liverpool currently sit eight points clear of second-placed Leicester this time around with 15 wins from 16 games.

Explaining his decision, Klopp believes he underestimated just how “perfect” he and the club are for each other and that he sees this contract extension as a “statement of intent” at what is to follow.

“For me personally, this is a statement of intent, one which is built on my knowledge of what we as a partnership have achieved so far and what is still there for us to achieve,” he told the Liverpool’s official website.

“When I see the development of the club and the collaborative work that continues to take place, I feel my contribution can only grow.

“People see what happens on the pitch as a measure of our progress and although it is the best measure, it’s not the only measure. I have seen the commitment from ownership through to every aspect and function of the club you can think of.

“When the call came in autumn 2015, I felt we were perfect for each other; if anything, now I feel I underestimated that. It is only with a total belief that the collaboration remains totally complimentary on both sides that I am able to make this commitment to 2024.

Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel here.

“If I didn’t I would not be re-signing.

“This club is in such a good place, I couldn’t contemplate leaving.”

Klopp also hailed the role of sporting director Michael Edwards in making his decision easier, crediting him for making Liverpool the best environment in world football right now.

He added: “I must also highlight the role of our sporting director, Michael Edwards, in this journey so far. His input and collaboration has been just as important as anyone else’s in getting us into a position to compete for the game’s top titles.

“For anyone in football who aspires to compete in an environment where every element of the organisation is at its very best – from the support of the supporters to the vision of the owners – there can be no better place than this.”

Liverpool’s title charge continues on Saturday when they face bottom side Watford at Anfield.