'I know why soccer fans are desperate for Jurgen Klopp’s return - it’s not to do with trophies'

Despite repeatedly explaining he has no plans to return to management, the mere suggestion of a possible new coaching role results in a media frenzy. The reason is more than just about his managerial CV

The clear desire for Jurgen Klopp to return to coaching is based on more than just his managerial CV, but his charisma and the feelings he evoked

By this stage, we know the drill. When Jurgen Klopp is linked with yet another managerial role, the hype goes into overdrive.

What has been reported? Is Klopp ready to return? Has he discussed this before? Remind me why he left Liverpool, again? And what does he even do now anyway? As a matter of course, we provide the answers that most, in truth, will find underwhelming.

On this occasion, it was Klopp’s own camp that initiated the media explosion on Monday. His agent, Marc Kosicke, revealed that the German has been approached by Manchester United and Chelsea since leaving Liverpool.

He could have even managed the USA, England or Germany, Kosicke revealed, while adding the death knell to all Klopp speculation, that he has no plans to return to the dugout any time soon.

“At the moment, I don't see that happening, because he's very happy with his new role and in this environment.”

For those who have been following Klopp’s post-Anfield career closely, those remarks will come as no surprise. The 58-year-old has remained consistent with his stance since leaving Liverpool.

The experienced coach had grown mentally fatigued. He needed fresh impetus and a career change that would allow him to spend more time with his family. Klopp’s role as Red Bull’s Head of Soccer has provided that, although he has not fully closed the door on coaching.

“Do I want to coach again? At the moment, I would say no, but I cannot say never, never, never. I don't expect to change my mind, but I don't know,” he said in an interview with AFP last month.

Klopp has said he has no intentions of returning to coaching(Image: Getty Images)

Klopp has not been shy in addressing the media since leaving Liverpool. He appeared on the Diary of a CEO podcast in October, a month after speaking to The Athletic, while he discussed his post-Liverpool career with German outlet Welt last summer.

And when he speaks, people listen - one of Klopp’s best characteristics was his ability to captivate and engage. Highlight reels of his best Liverpool press conference moments still appear on social media.

It’s impossible not to reflect on Klopp’s stint in management with mawkish nostalgia. In many ways, it embodies what supporting a club entails. At Anfield, Klopp’s side evoked hope, anxiety, distress and ecstasy. In short, he made Liverpool fans feel.

That’s before considering how liberating his Liverpool team was. It defied the odds while playing in a manner that quickly infused soccer’s predominant style. The Reds’ slick, unshackled offensive traits are sadly in short supply across the Premier League now. Just ask Arne Slot.

Then there’s the success Klopp’s teams invariably experienced. At Mainz, he led the club to promotion and Europe. At Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga success and a Champions League final, while at Liverpool he went one further, winning the competition and ending the Reds’ 30-year title wait.

Jurgen Klopp rang the bell for the final lap of the men's biathlon relay at the Winter Olympics(Image: Getty Images)

It all feeds into the palpable desire for Klopp to return in some form to a day-to-day coaching role. Like the new series of your favorite box set, soccer fans are desperate to witness Klopp’s latest escapade. Even a brief appearance at the Winter Olympics drew headlines.

The man who once dubbed himself, the “normal one”, has been linked with United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Flamengo and Brazil in the last year alone - and, of course, an Anfield return. And yet a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers nearly two years ago may well have been Klopp’s final hurrah in the technical area.

Inadvertently, his connection with Liverpool fans has weakened his successor’s position. Slot may have enjoyed more immediate success than Klopp, but there’s no denying he has failed to garner the same level of support, even if the incumbent boss has already collected the same number of Premier League winners’ medals.

It’s no criticism that Slot lacks Klopp’s charisma or charm. That’s what made the Reds’ former boss unique.

He was not defined by his tactics or silverware, but by feeling. That is why every whisper of a return spirals into a frenzy. For now, the speculation may rage, the links will multiply, but Klopp himself is content watching from a different vantage point. Until he decides otherwise - if he ever does - soccer’s sense of longing will only cut deeper.