Rio Ferdinand has explained why he thinks Jurgen Klopp was never a realistic candidate for the England manager’s job this year.
After Gareth Southgate stepped down following Euro 2024, Lee Carsley took charge on a caretaker basis for four matches before Thomas Tuchel was confirmed this morning as the Three Lions’ new permanent coach.
There had been fleeting rumours of the ex-Liverpool boss as a candidate for the role, but the former Manchester United defender was insistent that the 57-year-old wouldn’t have thrown his name into the ring.
Ferdinand says Klopp would never have taken England job
Speaking on his eponymous YouTube channel in reacting to Tuchel’s appointment, Ferdinand said: “Who else was available? Jurgen Klopp comes out of Liverpool, but I don’t think he was quite gettable because I don’t think he would’ve wanted to rub it in the face of Liverpool fans, who he’s got a wonderful relationship with after all those years at the club.
“He left under the circumstances of saying that he was tired and there were personal issues going on, then jumps into the England job straight away. I don’t think that was going to happen.”
(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Tuchel outcry shows why Klopp was right to stay away from England job
Ferdinand has hit the nail on the head with his reasons for Klopp never being a serious candidate for England. The 57-year-old has been adamant since leaving Anfield that he had no intentions of going back into management, and certainly not into a job with as much scrutiny as the Three Lions gig.
Also, given the complicated relationship between Liverpool and the English national team, it would’ve been sore to take for Reds fans if the German had been named as Southgate’s permanent successor.
Furthermore, you only need to look at the baffling reaction from many within the UK media to Tuchel’s appointment to see why Jurgen was right to run a mile from taking the job.
The 51-year-old won the Champions League with Chelsea when they were underdogs in the final against Manchester City in 2021, yet the likes of Gary Neville, Dean Ashton, Danny Mills and even Jamie Carragher have all criticised the FA for giving him the job purely because he doesn’t hail from this country.
Given the angry reaction to a European Cup-winning German getting the England gig, we can safely assume that there would’ve been the same xenophobic outcry if it had been Klopp rather than Tuchel – perhaps even more fiercely considering how some British pundits have had it in for the ex-Liverpool boss.
Our former manager courted controversy in his homeland by taking on a role as Red Bull’s Head of Global Football, but at least we don’t have to watch him being subjected to the over-the-top condemnation which invariably comes with leading the men’s national team in this country.
You can view Ferdinand’s comments on Klopp below (from 1:49), via Rio Ferdinand Presents on YouTube: