Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has said Jürgen Klopp is stepping down in May for his own “sanity” because he is burnt out from the relentless nature of the job.
Henry believes the demands on elite managers have become so great that the pressure is becoming too much. Klopp is currently the longest-serving Premier League manager, followed by Manchester City ’s Pep Guardiola, but there are growing concerns that the continued increase in responsibilities is leading to burnout.
And speaking in his role as a pundit for CBS Sports, Henry said: “Pep was at Barcelona, took a sabbatical year. Klopp is at Liverpool, is stopping. Xavi is at Barcelona, he is also stopping. Three great clubs.
“That’s a dream job normally and they are stopping. That tells you a story. The pressure, everybody has a voice, social media and whatnot. It is tough to be a manager and no one cares about you. You’re going to have to take care of yourself at one point.
“I understand that it’s very nice for fans and everybody involved, journalists, but do not think only about yourself and thinking that the Premier League will miss Klopp, that Liverpool will miss Klopp.
“We know that, we know that is true. But he was missing his family, he was missing his own time, he was missing his sanity. So good for him. When I got the news, I was like: ‘Good for you.’”
Last week Tottenham Hotspur’s Ange Postecoglou said that he thinks clubs must provide “support services” for managers because of the increased demands.
The issue for many is the non-footballing tasks they must engage in – such as increased media commitments, sponsor engagements and an expectation that they are to act as de facto club spokespeople. Postecoglou is in his eighth club job but has never lasted beyond three years at any.
He said: “Our priority is always going to be the team and producing results. I can see why a lot of clubs will say: ‘Let’s just protect our manager and sort of get him to focus on what’s important, build things around him.’
“You’ll see that more and more, for want of a better term, support services around a manager with the demands of the role. I’ve been doing it for 26 years at different levels but it is becoming even more consuming than you thought it would be than when I first started.”
