Jürgen Klopp has backed Andoni Iraola to succeed at Anfield, but noted that if his former club and its new head coach are to form a long-term successful partnership, they will need some good fortune along the way.
World Cup 2026
Klopp enjoyed a trophy-laden nine years in charge of Liverpool, delivering the club’s sixth Champions League and ending their long wait for a Premier League title before announcing his shock resignation during the 2023-24 season.
His successor Arne Slot led the team back to the summit of the English top flight at the first time of asking but was sacked at the end of last season after the team finished fifth.
Andoni Iraola was confirmed as Liverpool’s new head coach earlier this month and Klopp has backed him to bring the good times back to Anfield.
Match Details
Asked about why the team might have dropped off last season, Klopp told ESPN: “No idea. I’m not close enough to judge that. I was super happy that they won a league a year before and I have no idea what was wrong that the year after.
“So I think nobody was very happy with the season. That was obvious, but they still qualified for the Champions League and that’s a great success. So now you can go again and have a new manager and Andoni Iraola who is a great coach as well, like Arne Slot is, but it has to click. It has to work together for a long time and for that and you need luck.
“There was a situation before last season at Liverpool, which nobody expected to happen and to deal with these kind of things is really difficult,” Klopp said, referencing the death of Diogo Jota last summer.
Tournament Impact
“I don’t know what exactly went on, but so the last season is now passed as well and now they can look into the future.”
Klopp: We ‘witnessed greatness’ with good friend Salah
The German coach, now Red Bull’s head of global soccer, also revealed how his friendship with Mohamed Salah has blossomed since the player-coach dynamic ended and heaped praise on the Egypt forward’s ability.
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