Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp announced on Friday that he plans to leave the Premier League club after the 2023-24 season. Following the announcement, Los Angeles Lakers star and partial Liverpool owner LeBron James paid tribute to Klopp in a post on X.
“THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND MORE!!’ James wrote. ‘You are one helluva manager and you’ll never be forgotten and more importantly YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE!! The Reds will miss you!!’
James owns a one percent stake in Liverpool as a part of Fenway Sports Group.
Klopp has served as Liverpool’s manager for the past nine seasons but maintained that he wasn’t stepping away for health reasons. His contract wasn’t set to expire for two more seasons.
“I can understand that it’s a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it,” Klopp said in an interview released by Liverpool. “I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take.”
Klopp had told Liverpool’s ownership group that he planned to leave back in November.
Since arriving at Liverpool in October 2015, Klopp led the club to its first Premier League title in 31 seasons in addition to a sixth European Cup. Klopp could win the league once again this season as Liverpool advanced to the EFL Cup final on Wednesday.
