Cliff Notes – Jürgen Klopp on job obsession: ‘Been to two weddings in 25 yrs’
- Jürgen Klopp expressed surprise at Pep Guardiola’s ability to play golf, highlighting the intense demands of elite coaching that left him with little personal time.
- After stepping down from Liverpool in May 2024 due to burnout, Klopp is now the head of soccer for the Red Bull group and unlikely to return to coaching soon.
- Reflecting on his coaching career, Klopp noted he has attended only two weddings in 25 years and has rarely experienced life outside football’s confines.
Jürgen Klopp on job obsession: ‘Been to two weddings in 25 yrs’
Former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has revealed the demanding nature of elite-level coaching and expressed his shock that Pep Guardiola still finds time to play golf.
Klopp, 58, stepped away from coaching in May 2024 after almost nine years in charge at Liverpool citing feeling burnout. He has since been working as head of soccer for the Red Bull group and their fleet of clubs.
In an interview with The Athletic, the German coach again said he is unlikely to return to coaching anytime soon.
“I missed nothing in my life because I never thought about it,” Klopp said. “So during almost 25 years, I twice went to a wedding — one of them was mine and the other one was two months ago. In 25 years, I have been four times at the cinema — all in the last eight weeks. It’s now nice to be able to do it.
Jürgen Klopp said he is unlikely to return to football management in the near future. Jan Woitas/picture alliance via Getty Images
“I was in so many different countries as a coach and I saw nothing of them; just the hotel, the stadium or the training ground. Nothing else. I did not miss it, but I would now.”
Klopp led Liverpool to a number of major trophies, including a Premier League and Champions League title, although he could have won more had it not been for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who pipped them to the league title on multiple occassions.
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“Think about your absolute movie star,” he added. “For me, Daniel Craig, James Bond. And you think, ‘Oh my God, he’s James Bond!’ I would think: Where is he right now? What is he doing?
“But in the end, he gets up in the morning, he brushes his teeth. He’s on a film set and a film set is not what we see later in the cinema. You’re sitting there and you do the same scene 25 times. You don’t think about these things. But I had this life. I know how almost all football managers live. They live for the job, all-in. You can’t be successful in this business without doing it like that.
“But then I tell Pep [Guardiola] — he improved his [golf] handicap with age! I didn’t have a f—ing minute of time to play golf! So that’s why he’s a genius and I am not.”
“When do you play golf? I cannot believe that.”
