Liverpool: ‘Really mad’ ex-Reds man slams FSG for forcing ‘tired’ Jurgen Klopp resignation

Jason Soutar 26 Jan 2024 1:47 PM

Jurgen Klopp looks on during a match.

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has slammed the club’s owners after it was announced that Jurgen Klopp will step down at the end of the season.

Indeed, Jurgen Norbert Klopp is leaving Liverpool. We are still a little bit shook.

We aren’t mad, though. Jose Enrique is the mad one.

Following the news of Klopp’s summer departure, the former left-back – who played one year under the German at Anfield – decided to use the news as an excuse to bash the Reds’ owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG).

Enrique believes it is fishy that Klopp would agree to sign a four-year contract extension in 2022, only to depart two years later.

Despite Klopp’s in-depth explanation of why it is the right time to leave, the Spaniard thinks FSG’s lack of spending has seen the Liverpool boss run out of patience.

“My initial thought is that I was mad, but you can not blame him,” Enrique told on Sky Sports News. “Obviously, he is a legend and I believe Liverpool should build a statue.

“Because of him Liverpool has achieved everything that they have achieved in the last few years.

“He just renewed his contract as well. I think something has happened that has to do with the spending, maybe the ownership, that he has got tired of it, keeping fighting every single year to sign the players he deserves in the team.

“He can’t do miracles all the time. He has just got tired. That is a personal opinion.

“Every year he has to do miracles to win trophies with these players. Obviously they have a great team this year to win but this January transfer window, the team needs something and the owners just don’t give it. I really believe they need one or two players.

“I believe he does as well, even if he doesn’t say so. He is tired of it.

“My first thought is that I was really mad, not at him, but at the owners.”

Enrique added that the Reds’ only signed Luis Diaz in January 2022 because he would have joined Tottenham otherwise, using this as an example of FSG frustrating Klopp.

“He knows Liverpool will never be able to compete with Manchester City for spending money,” he added.

“When Liverpool had the chance to win the quadruple they signed Luis Diaz in January. If Tottenham didn’t go for Luis Diaz, Liverpool would not have signed him.

“Klopp wanted him from the start and the owners got pushed at the end because if not, he was going to Tottenham.

“That’s the sad thing about it. You have a manager like him that has been able to compete with Manchester City, who can buy whoever they want all of the time, I know he knows Liverpool can not spend this kind of money and I don’t think he wants that either.

“How you can change your decision to renew your contract a few months ago to wanting to leave at the end of the season? It doesn’t make sense to me. It doesn’t make sense.

“I respect it. He’s a legend of the club. I was very, very lucky to be under him for a season. He is a wonderful guy and one of the best managers.”

Liverpool Jose Enrique