Diogo Jota has revealed how Liverpool players reacted after Jurgen Klopp confirmed he will leave his post as the club’s manager at the end of the current season.
The footballing fraternity was shocked on January 26 when Liverpool posted a video of Klopp saying that he will leave Liverpool this summer. He stated that while he loves the club, he is ‘running out of energy’.
Klopp will also apparently take a one-year break from managing a club or a national team. When asked how the players reacted to the news, the former Borussia Dortmund boss gave a rather plain response, saying that they were ‘professional’ and ‘normal‘ in their reaction.
Jota has now given a player’s point of view to the news, stating in a Sky Sports Premier League Q&A session (h/t DaveOCKOP):
“We had a meeting. No one was expecting it. He just told us he was leaving. I was a bit in shock, I was not expecting [the news] and I think the general mood was a bit of silence – everyone was trying to figure out the best way to react to the news.”
Klopp joined the Reds as their manager in October 2015 and has since guided them to winning every Major trophy. His most notable achievements were winning the Premier League (2019-20) and the UEFA Champions League (2018-19) with the Reds.
Jurgen Klopp says Arsenal are ‘definitely’ in the title race if they beat Liverpool
Liverpool are currently sitting at the top of the league table with 51 points from 22 matches. They lead second-placed Manchester City by five points but the Cityzens have a game in hand.
The Gunners also have 46 points from 22 games but sit in third due to an inferior goal difference. Jurgen Klopp believes Mikel Arteta’s side will ‘definitely’ be in the picture to win the league if they beat the Reds at the Emirates on Sunday (February 4).
Speaking ahead of the game, the 56-year-old German said, via the club’s official website:
“Arsenal, they beat us, they are definitely there [in the title race]. If they don’t beat us, then ask them or other people, I don’t know what that means.”
It’s worth mentioning that Arsenal led the table for a record 248 days last season, only to lose the title to Manchester City by five points. The fact that they won just three of their last nine league games last season played a huge role in that. That run coincidentally started with a 2-2 draw against Liverpool on April 9, 2023, at Anfield.
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