Jurgen Klopp delivered the perfect Thursday surprise by signing a new contract to stay at Liverpool until 2026, and the details of his deal speak volumes of his character.
“I love our club and it’s the best place to be,” were the 54-year-old’s words to fans after his deal was confirmed on Thursday.
The significance of the contract extension cannot be underestimated with Liverpool’s medium-term future now known to remain in the safe, capable hands of Klopp.
As for the details of the deal itself, which Klopp himself instigated, it is a representation of who the manager is as a person.
Firstly, the contract adds two years to his previous deal that ran until 2024 and does not include a pay rise, it is simply an extension of his existing terms.
The Athletic report that pay rises, amounting to “around £2 million”, instead came the way of Klopp’s backroom team, namely Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz.
The duo’s desire to remain at Anfield was key in Klopp’s own decision making, with the manager saying: “I’ve said there were a number of things that made my decision an easy one – and Pep and Pete signing was one of them. A massive one, in fact.”
The new terms will see Klopp be in the top job for 10 years and eight months, becoming only the fourth Liverpool manager in history to eclipse the decade mark.
But notably, the Athletic also go on to state that “It is believed there is no break clause in Klopp’s contract, rather an understanding that he can say he doesn’t want to do the final year.”
With a break from the game always touted as a reason for not looking beyond 2024, it is understandable that such an agreement exists and it is a right that Klopp has more than earned.
One would not foresee Klopp stepping away before his contracted time, but he has long held a club over self mentality, it’s why he is loved so dearly.
That ‘understanding’, however, is not thought to have any reference to leaving for another club or a national team.
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