‘Long-term contract’ - Jurgen Klopp Liverpool exit talk quashed as pressure increases

Jurgen Klopp’s agent has quashed suggestions the Liverpool manager could replace Hansi Flick at Germany amid increasing pressure on the former Bayern Munich boss.

Die Mannschaft have won just four of their last 16 games under Flick, who was expected to turn the tide for nation after disappointing World Cup performances in 2018 and 2022.

They have qualified for Euro 2024 automatically as the host nation, but failed to win during their three friendly matches in the latest international break.

They drew 3-3 with Ukraine thanks to a stoppage-time penalty, before losing to Poland and Colombia. Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring for the South Americans as they claimed a 2-0 victory.

The pressure on Flick has led to hopes by some in Germany that Klopp could be brought into replace him before the Euros next summer.

But his agent Mark Kosicke told BILD, via the Mirror: “Jürgen has a long-term contract with the LFC and the DFB has a national coach, so it’s not an issue for us.”

Flick is said to have the backing of the German FA but former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamman has called for a change in national coach.

“The danger that this will go wrong with him is so great that you have to act now. It’s going in the wrong direction at a huge pace. [He has] lost the trust of the players,” the former Liverpool star told Sky Germany.

“If it’s right in the team, then the boys do it themselves, because they say: ‘We’ll go through fire for him’. That’s not the case at the moment. We’ve been muddling around for years and think we’re the best and greatest.

“But the fact is that we’ve fallen so far behind. It can’t get any worse than it is at the moment, which is why I would also greet Julian Nagelsmann with a kiss on the hand.”

Klopp signed a contract extension at Liverpool in April 2022, extending his deal to the summer of 2026. Before agreeing the extension, he was due to be out of contract at Anfield at the end of the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Klopp said after signing the new deal last April: “There are so many words I could use to describe how I am feeling about this news… delighted, humbled, blessed, privileged and excited would be a start.

“There is just so much to love about this place. I knew that before I came here, I got to know it even better after I arrived and now I know it more than ever before.

“Like any healthy relationship, it always has to be a two-way street; you have to be right for each other. The feeling we were absolutely right for each other is what brought me here in the first place and it’s why I’ve extended previously.”