Carlo Ancelotti has shared his thoughts on Jurgen Klopp’s decision to step down as Liverpool manager this year.
The German confirmed in January that he’d leave Anfield at the end of the 2023/24 season, bidding an emotional farewell on Merseyside last month.
Speaking to Il Giornale, the Real Madrid boss pointed to how the ‘burdens’ of leading one of Europe’s biggest clubs can take their toll on a coach, citing another man who’s won some of the most coveted prizes in the game.
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Ancelotti said: “I don’t see any particular news, this has always been our job, but the Klopp case is significant. The continuous pressure, the load of responsibilities become excessive burdens, the obsession takes over. It also happened to Arrigo Sacchi.”
The Italian added: “When relationships break down, not human ones but professional ones, it is better to leave without controversies and arguments.”
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When Klopp announced his decision to leave Liverpool, he cited that he was ‘running out of energy’, an inescapable reflection on the toll that elite-level management can take after more than two decades in the profession.
Ancelotti has been managing at some of Europe’s top clubs for 25 years and more, so there’s nobody better placed to comment on the ‘excessive burdens’ which come with the territory, especially in an era where even a solitary defeat is liable to unforgiving dissection by fans and a vast array of pundits.
It can be easy for those outside of the sport to routinely pick holes in a coach’s work without giving even a momentary thought to the reality that there’s a person behind those decisions who’s daily carrying the enormous responsibility of satisfying the expectation of their bosses, as well as a demanding fan base.
Even for the most successful coaches in the game, that must take its toll eventually, as we’ve seen with Klopp deciding to take some time away from football.
The German will obviously be missed hugely at Liverpool after everything he’s done for the club, but it’s beyond question that he’s earned an extended break, and he owes it to nobody that he’s made the right choice for himself.
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