Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has ruled himself out of the running to replace Germany boss Joachim Low, who will leave his position after this summer’s European Championship.
Low announced on Tuesday that he will be stepping down from the role he has held since 2006, and Klopp was mentioned as one of the front-runners to replace him.
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But ahead of their Champions League round-of-16 second-leg tie against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, Klopp has said he is not in the running to become Germany’s next coach.
When asked whether he’d be available to talk to the DFB (German Football Association), Klopp answered: “If I’m available for the job? No. After the summer, no.
“Jogi Low did an incredible job — he’s the longest servant we’ve ever had in Germany. He did an incredible job.
“I understand he wants to have this highlight with the European Championship and squeeze everything out he can in the tournament, then someone else will do the job, I’m sure. I’m sure the German FA will find a solution.”
Klopp signed a new contract as Liverpool boss in December 2019 that runs until 2024, and the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager said he plans to honour that agreement.
“Well, I have three years left [on my contract] at Liverpool this summer, don’t I?” he said. “That’s a simple statement.
“It’s a simple situation. You sign a contract and you try and stick to that contract, don’t you? I had contracts in Mainz where I stuck with them even though there was interest from other Bundesliga teams with more money.
“It’s just timing and money. If it doesn’t work out, then there’s no need to lose any sleep over it. I don’t have a problem with it.”
However, Klopp would not be drawn on who he felt should succeed Low, who led Germany to World Cup glory in 2014,
“I don’t know; I’m the wrong person to ask,” he said. “I was just as surprised as everyone else when I heard the news today.
“There’s enough time to find a successor, and I’m sure everybody will do the job thoroughly.
Liverpool travel to Budapest for their second leg against Leipzig, having won the first leg 2-0 at the same Puskas Stadium against Julian Nagelsmann’s side.
While Liverpool are progressing nicely in the Champions League, their Premier League form is still suffering, having won just one of their past eight top-flight matches.
Klopp said Liverpool’s predicament is worse than in his final season at Dortmund when, having reached the Champions League final just two years earlier, their form dipped to such an extent that they finished the campaign in seventh place.
“It’s more challenging here now,” Klopp said. “I don’t want to look back now.
“We’re in this situation now, we’re trying to come out of it, and though we didn’t have the performance we needed in the Premier League, we have momentum in the Champions League.”
