Some senior players at Liverpool have reportedly voiced their dissatisfaction with the club’s management for failing to inform them in advance about the departure of Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp sent shockwaves through the football world with his surprise announcement last week signaling the end of his nine-year tenure at the club at the end of the current season.
The 56-year-old, expressing that he is ‘running out of energy,’ has decided to step down from his role as manager.
In addition to Klopp, his trusted assistants Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, along with elite development coach Vitor Matos, are also set to depart their roles as the 2023-24 campaign comes to a close.
Despite the impending departure of the coaching staff, Klopp and his team remain focused on their current challenges, with four trophies still up for grabs before the conclusion of the season.
According to the Athletic’s David Ornstein, some of the Liverpool squad are unhappy with how the club has handled the situation.
“They didn’t have any advanced warning. I’ve had suggestions that not all the senior players were particularly happy about that, but I guess when you’re in Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp’s shoes you’re probably damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” he explained.
“You could tell them and it gets out and you lose control of it or you don’t tell them and the players are unhappy they didn’t get advanced warning.”
Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold currently have 18 months remaining on their contracts with the Reds, and as of now, there haven’t been any substantial discussions regarding potential contract extensions.
“In normal circumstances, I think Liverpool would have already sorted these contracts or be well on the way to sorting them,” Ornstein said.
“Van Dijk will be 33 in the summer so it’s a massive call for him, Mohamed Salah also in his 30s and has been courted so heavily by the Saudi Pro League.
“Alexander-Arnold is in amazing form so many clubs would want him if he were to become available.”
Van Dijk, meanwhile has reassured fans of his unwavering commitment to the club, dispelling recent speculations regarding a potential departure from Anfield at the end of the season.
The 32-year-old stirred uncertainty about his future with the Reds on Monday when he expressed uncertainty about being part of the club’s post-Jurgen Klopp era.
He said as asked about his contract situation at the club: “That’s a big question.
“Well, I don’t know. We will speak about it at the end of the season. That is correct – good maths. Listen, I don’t know.
“The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known. To replace the manager and replace not only the manager, the staff is leaving, and there are so many things that will change.
“So the club has a big job on its hands and I am very curious which direction that will go in. But when that will be announced we will see our situation, I can’t say now.”
However, in his recent interview with Sky Germany, the Netherlands international stated that his comments about his Liverpool future were “taken out of context”.
“First and foremost, I was quite surprised how ‘breaking news’ it was [on Monday] because I felt like it’s got way taken out of context. I think, first and foremost, it’s not about me,” he said.
“It’s not about me at all. Especially at this point. It’s about us [and] how we want to make sure that the club is at the right place at the right time. That’s why I was very much surprised.
“Just to be 100 per cent clear, I am fully committed to the club, like the boss said. I love the club. I love the fans. I love playing each and every minute for the club [and] wearing the shirt.
“I can’t say more. I can say more, but I think it’s pretty obvious and like I said, it’s not about me. It’s about making sure that we achieve targets and goals and dreams and making sure that towards the end of the season that we can make the farewell that the boss deserves; the best ever.
“We’re in a good position. I really sense that. But at the end of the season it could be different but we’re not focusing [on that].
“We’re focusing on what’s here and now and as a team and not personally because that’s not important at all. It’s not about ‘I’ or ‘he’. It’s about [being] together and that’s how it feels.”
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