Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was approached about potentially replacing Gregg Berhalter as the new United States boss ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup
Jurgen Klopp has stuck to the promise he made Liverpool fans after being approached by the United States to become their new manager.
Klopp stood down as Liverpool boss at the end of last season after almost nine years at the club, citing a lack of energy to continue in the role. The US were hoping to lure Klopp back into management after sacking their manager Gregg Berhalter after a poor Copa America.
Matt Crocker, the United States Soccer Federation’s sporting director, made contact with Klopp about potentially taking over from Berhalter heading into the 2026 World Cup which is being co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
However, the Athletic state that Klopp rebuffed the approach and reiterated his desire to spend some time away from football. After announcing his Liverpool departure back in January, Klopp vowed to take a break, but admitted he wouldn’t know for sure until an offer was formalised.
He told club media : “If you ask me, ‘Will you ever work as a manager again?’ I would say now no. But I don’t know obviously how that will feel because I never had the situation. What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent.
“That’s not possible. My love for this club, my respect for the people is too big. I couldn’t. I couldn’t for a second think about it. There’s no chance. This is part of my life, we are part of the family, we feel home here. There’s no chance to do that.
“But all the rest, will I ever work again? Of course, I know myself, I cannot just sit around. I will find something else maybe to do. But I will not manage a club or a country at least for a year, that’s not possible, I cannot do that and I don’t want to. That’s all.”
The US will now turn their attention elsewhere, with Crocker stating: “Our immediate focus is on finding a coach who can maximize our potential as we continue to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, and we have already begun our search process.”
Under Berhalter, the US became the first host nation to be eliminated from the Copa America in the group stage since the tournament began having just one host in 1987. “Our tournament performance fell short of our expectations,” Crocker admitted. “We must do better.”
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