Jürgen Klopp may return to coach Liverpool in an unexpected move if the club decides to sack Arne Slot, according to English press reports.
Klopp, 58, who left the team in the summer of 2024 after a successful period, is emerging as a surprise candidate to take over temporarily, according to The Sun, if the Anfield management loses confidence in the Dutch coach due to deteriorating results.
Although Klopp currently holds the position of Head of Global Football at Red Bull, his potential return would only be until the end of the season, while the American management is considering Luis Enrique, the Paris Saint-Germain coach, as a long-term option.
Slot insists he has the backing of the club’s owners, despite a series of poor results, with the team losing 9 of their last 12 games, the latest being a 4-1 defeat at Anfield to Eindhoven in the Champions League, their worst run of results since the 1953-1954 season.
Losing control
But The Sun reported that Liverpool officials held internal talks over concerns that Slot was beginning to lose control of the team, especially after spending £426 million in the summer transfer window, before the team went from champions to a “clown” as the newspaper described it.
The board is said to be preparing for the worst, including thinking about Klopp, who ended the club’s 30-year wait for a league title in 2020.
Although the idea of changing the coach was postponed until the start of the new year, any further defeat, especially against West Ham on Sunday, could push the owners to make a quick decision, especially with growing fan anger that booed after Wednesday’s game.
The American management, which is very interested in the financial side, is very concerned that not qualifying for the Champions League next season will cost the club losses of up to £53 million.
The club also faces tough away games against Inter and Marseille, and if it fails to get past this stage, the crisis will worsen.
Slot, the Liverpool coach, revealed details of his talks with the club’s owners and his opinion on the team’s declining performance.
Liverpool are currently 12th in the Premier League table after 12 rounds, with just 6 wins and 6 defeats, scoring 18 goals and conceding 20.
In the Champions League, Liverpool are 13th with 9 points from 5 games, with just 3 wins and 2 defeats, with the Reds scoring 10 goals and conceding 8.
Slot is reassured
Slot was asked about his conversations with the owners during Thursday’s press conference for the West Ham game, and replied: “We had the same conversations that we have had since I arrived here. We continue to fight. We are trying to improve, but the conversations have been the same as they have been for the last year and a half.”
Asked if he felt angry with the players over the recent slump in results, Slot said: “I don’t feel angry with the players at all. I agree that our standards have not been at the level we are used to. We think we can play better.”
The Dutch coach added: “Last season when we were performing really well, there was a focus on individuals, and I said that we should focus on the team. If the opposite happens (performance declines), we should also look at the team and not the individuals.”
Asked what Slot could do differently to improve performance, the coach explained: “It’s not easy to say. It’s natural to think about the game and the decisions you made. Maybe you do that a little more if you lose.”
He continued: “In the end, it’s all about doing what this club is all about, continuing to fight no matter how difficult it is. It would be good if we rewarded ourselves in the moments when we play well, people focus on the parts where we don’t play well, but there are big parts where we play well.”
Jones has to apply what he says
Slot was asked about comments made by player Curtis Jones after the defeat to Eindhoven, which Slot had not initially heard, and replied: “That’s really good if you apply it in the game, as the players at least tried to do that yesterday. The running data was very high, but it didn’t lead to anything in terms of results.”
He continued: “I think what he (“Jones”) is saying is that if we can bring that (effort and spirit) into the game as a team, the minimum we expect is to fight. I think we agree on the same vision when it comes to how we get out of this situation.”
Slot commented on his players’ declining morale during the game the day before yesterday, saying: “Sometimes, I don’t think it’s low at the start of the game or even at the score (1-0), but after the third or fourth goal, and after the score (3-1), I saw 10 difficult minutes.”
He added: “I could see that it hurt the players a lot, and I can say gently that it was not the moment when our fighting spirit was at its best in the game.”
