Jurgen Klopp rules himself out of contention for England manager vacancy
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has ruled himself out of the race to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager.
The 57-year-old German had been touted as an outsider for the post vacated by Southgate in the wake of England’s Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain, but he has now distanced himself from the speculation.
Speaking at the International Coaches’ Congress in Wurzburg, Klopp said when asked if there were any offers on the table: “At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country.
“A few people must not have heard this part. And it would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if you said, ‘I’ll make an exception for you now’.
“I’m going to do some work. I’m too young to only do padel tennis and grandchildren. Will that be coach again? I would actually rule that out at the moment.
“Let’s see what it will look like in a few months. Nothing is coming through at the moment.”
Klopp left his role at Liverpool at the end of last season after a hugely successful nine-year spell admitting he was “running out of energy”.
Some bookmakers continue to price him at as little as 6/1 to take over from Southgate as the Football Association attempts to identify his successor.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe, who insisted on Tuesday he was “fully committed” to the Magpies, former Brighton and Chelsea counterpart Graham Potter and England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley continue to figure prominently in the betting.
Southgate resigned after an eight-year reign which encompassed two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final in 2018.
Former Borussia Dortmund manager Klopp may not consider himself a candidate for that vacancy, but he has not ruled out a return to football at some point.
He said: “As of today, that’s it for me as a coach. I didn’t quit on a whim, but it was a general decision. I’ve also coached the best clubs in the world.
“Maybe we can talk about it again in a few months. I still want to work in football and help people with my experience and contacts. Let’s see what else there is for me.”