Klopp's replacement? Liverpool will have a coach with a year left to live

A few weeks ago Jurgen Klopp shocked the soccer world with an unexpected announcement: he decided to leave Liverpool after the end of the current season 2023/24. After almost a decade working there, he felt he no longer had the energy to face one more year with the responsibility of leading the team and so he communicated his decision to the club's chiefs.

More news about Liverpool:

Liverpool sent spies to Germany to check out the manager to replace Klopp

They now have the difficult task of choosing a suitable replacement for the German manager. Klopp's success should not only be measured by the results achieved, which are excellent. He led the Reds to the Champions League and Premier League titles, as well as competing for years with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. But he also brought Liverpool back to being one of the best teams in England and Europe, while boosting the performances of many of the squad's players.

That's why it will be a huge challenge to continue his legacy next season. Over the past few weeks, newspapers, TV shows and social media have been awash with rumors and speculation about Jurgen's likely replacement. Some mention Xabi Alonso, former player of the club and current coach of the surprising Bayer Leverkusen, as the main favorite. But other options such as Ruben Amorim, Steven Gerrard, José Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane are also mentioned.

However, no one imagined that Liverpool could be led by a coach who has a year to live. Sven Goran Eriksson was for decades a successful coach who worked, for example, at Benfica, AS Roma, Manchester City, Leicester City and the England national team, until his retirement in 2019. But a few weeks ago he surprised everyone by revealing that he is suffering from pancreatic cancer and that doctors assured him that he has one year to live.

More news about Liverpool:

The key player Chelsea will lose for the Carabao Cup final vs. Liverpool

He will fulfill his dream

Eriksson recently said, "I'm a Liverpool fan, so I've always wanted to be their manager and that's not going to happen, but I'm still a Liverpool fan." And now he will be able to fulfill his dream. It won't be as Klopp's replacement, but by managing a team of club legends against Ajax, during a charity match to be played at Anfield Road on March 23.