Former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has tipped Jurgen Klopp to manage the England national team in the future, backing the German to move into international management.
Klopp took over as manager at Anfield in 2015 and led the club for nine seasons before stepping down from the role after the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign. Since leaving Anfield, Klopp has taken on a senior role with Red Bull as their Head of Global Football.
Speaking in an interview with Casinostugan, Riise stated that Klopp would be better suited as a national team manager, insisting that it is less demanding than managing a football club.
“If he were to return, I think he'd choose a national team,” Riise said. “I don't think he'd work for a club anymore. I could see him managing England in the future. An international team is less demanding than a daily job at a club, and that could be a good fit for him. Jurgen loves life and puts passion into everything he does. I'd love to see him back at work for the energy he exudes, but at the same time his legacy is already immense. He did so well at Dortmund and Liverpool that I find it hard to imagine him doing better elsewhere.
He added:
“Perhaps he's simply satisfied with what he's achieved and now wants to devote himself to other interests. I think his time at Liverpool took its toll on him: he was exhausted mentally and physically, because he gave everything he had, every single drop of energy, to that job.”
Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool marked the start of a new era for the Merseysiders, transforming the club into serial challengers at the highest level. He ended the club’s 30-year wait for a league title and also delivered success on the European stage.
Jurgen Klopp has yet to rule out Liverpool return
While Riise has suggested that he doesn’t see Klopp returning to coach a football club anymore, the former Reds manager seems not ready to fully accept that possibility.
In October, Klopp suggested that he could still return to manage the Merseyside club one day. He told The Diary of a CEO podcast:
“I said I will never coach another team, a different team, in England. So that means if then it's Liverpool, yeah, theoretically it's possible.”
During his nine-year reign at Anfield, Klopp managed 489 matches across all competitions and won 304, giving him a 62.1 percent win rate.