Jurgen Klopp would face Liverpool return problem as icon 'not quite finished'

Jurgen Klopp has indicated he may return to management in the future, but he would struggle to reunite his former Liverpool coaching staff, with Pep Lijnders now at Manchester City

Jurgen Klopp could make a return to management(Image: Getty Images)

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has not yet returned to the dugout since departing Anfield, but he has suggested he has another managerial role left in him.

However, he may find it difficult to reunite the old team, with several members of his Reds coaching staff having secured new positions elsewhere after leaving Liverpool. Klopp departed Liverpool at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign, announcing his exit several months prior to the season's end.

He took time away before stepping into his current position as global head of soccer at Red Bull, but speculation about a return to management has persisted. When the German announced his departure, he made it abundantly clear he would never take charge of another Premier League side other than Liverpool.

A position abroad remains a possibility, however, with Germany and Real Madrid both mentioned as potential destinations.

Speaking at an event in Germany, Klopp dismissed Real Madrid speculation but left the door ajar for another managerial appointment at some stage in the future. Nevertheless, he is in no hurry to depart Red Bull just yet.

"And as for the future, I'm not quite finished as a coach yet," he said. "So who knows what might come up in the next few years. But there are absolutely no plans in that regard."

Pep Lijnders is now working for Manchester City(Image: Getty Images)

Reassembling the Liverpool coaching team that served him so effectively over the years could prove challenging, though, regardless of where he ends up. Some have moved into management, while others have taken different coaching positions elsewhere.

Klopp's former assistant Pep Lijnders was suggested by some in the media as a possible successor to Klopp. Instead, he accepted the manager's position at Red Bull Salzburg ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

However, things didn't work out for the Dutchman, and he was dismissed in December of that year. He has since joined Pep Guardiola's backroom staff at Manchester City, with whom he secured the Carabao Cup this month.

Vitor Matos arrived at Liverpool as an elite development coach under Klopp in 2019 and later accompanied Lijnders to Salzburg. He then took his initial steps into management with Maritimo in Portugal's second division.

After merely 12 matches, the 37-year-old departed to assume the head coach position at Championship outfit Swansea following Alan Sheehan's dismissal. The Swans currently occupy 14th place in the standings with seven fixtures remaining, making both promotion and relegation improbable.

John Achterberg and Claudio Taffarel both contributed their expertise to goalkeeping coach positions and neither remains at Anfield. Achterberg accompanied Steven Gerrard to Al Ettifaq and stayed in Saudi Arabia following Gerrard's exit.

Taffarel held a dual role during his spell at Anfield, also working with the Brazil national side. Since July 2025, that Brazil role has become his sole responsibility. One individual whom Klopp might persuade to join him in a new environment is Peter Krawietz. Krawietz has previously worked with Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, as well as Liverpool, and currently holds the position of head of soccer philosophy at Red Bull.

He briefly resumed an assistant manager role last season, working under temporary boss Zsolt Low at RB Leipzig. However, he did not continue in the role once Ole Werner was appointed as the permanent manager.

This suggests that, wherever Klopp may find himself as a coach, he might need to assemble a completely new support staff team around him.