Klopp lands in Liverpool to sign three-year deal

Ian Watson
JJurgen Klopp: The man in charge

Jurgen Klopp: The man in charge

Jurgen Klopp will be unveiled as Liverpool’s new manager at 10am on Friday after the club called an Anfield press conference for “a major announcement”.

It is understood all negotiations have been concluded with the former Borussia Dortmund boss, who flew into Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport on Thursday afternoon via private jet from his home town.

From there he was taken to a city centre hotel – there are no plans as yet for him to visit Anfield, the club’s Melwood training ground or the Chapel Street offices where Liverpool’s corporate departments work from.

Jurgen Klopp: Arrives at his Liverpool hotel after flight from Dortmund

Jurgen Klopp: Arrives at his Liverpool hotel after flight from Dortmund

Klopp has yet to sign what is understood to be a three-year contract but the fact he has arrived on Merseyside makes that part of the deal a formality.

Klopp is expected to bring with him Bosnian Zeljko Buvac, his assistant both at Dortmund and Mainz before that, and coach Peter Krawietz.

In preparation for that the club began a clear-out of many of predecessor Rodgers’ backroom staff earlier in the day.

Assistant manager Sean O’Driscoll and first-team coach Gary McAllister – who were only brought in over the summer in an overhaul of coaching personnel – have left their posts.

Head of performance Glen Driscoll and head of opposition analysis Chris Davies, who followed Rodgers to Anfield from Swansea in 2012, have also lost their jobs.

Former Reds midfielder McAllister will remain at the club in an ambassadorial role “not connected to first-team duties”.

The former Scotland international took training on Thursday morning along with one member of staff Pep Lijnders, promoted in the summer from the club’s academy as a player development coach, who has kept his job.

It appears the position of head of fitness and conditioning Ryland Morgans, another Rodgers recruit from Swansea, is also safe for now.

Former Liverpool manager and now England boss Roy Hodgson offered Klopp his best wishes in his new job.

“Certainly we wish him well. I mean, it is like everything else – everybody who comes into the job has taken somebody else’s job,” said Hodgson.

“It is club business when they decide to change managers. It has got nothing to do with international managers like myself.

“All I can do is welcome Jurgen to England and wish him the very best of luck with his job of making Liverpool the top team that the owners would like them to be.”

Hodgson also expressed the hope he and the German would enjoy a good working relationship in the coming years.

“I’ve been very fortunate since taking over as the England manager that I had a very good relationship, and received a lot of help and backing from Brendan Rodgers,” he added.

“I am hoping that Jurgen Klopp will give me the same support and backing as we’ve had.”

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