Virgil van Dijk Opens Up on Jurgen Klopp’s Departure: ‘Tough to Take’

Liverpool’s captain, Virgil van Dijk, has shared his thoughts on Jurgen Klopp’s surprising decision to step down as the club’s manager at the end of the current season. Klopp’s announcement on Friday marked the end of a highly successful nine-year tenure, during which he led Liverpool to Premier League and Champions League glory.

Van Dijk, a key player under Klopp since his £75 million signing in 2017, expressed that the news was “tough to take.” Speaking for the first time about Klopp’s departure, the legendary Liverpool centre-back acknowledged the significant impact the manager had on the team, the club, and the entire Premier League.

Reflecting on the tough decision, Van Dijk stated, “It’s a hard one to take because the manager means so much for us, to me, to the club, to the whole Premier League, I think. But he made the decision for him and his family. It was always going to be a tough one and it was definitely the case.”

Van Dijk revealed that Klopp informed the players of his decision in private before the official announcement. Despite the emotional news, the captain emphasized the team’s commitment to their goals for the remainder of the season.

The Dutch skipper explained, “For us, it was also a very big day. But we have big targets this year, and that’s definitely stressed by the manager as well. We all want to achieve so much, and that mindset was already there since pre-season and that doesn’t change.”

As Klopp aims to conclude his Liverpool tenure with a historic quadruple, Van Dijk highlighted the squad’s determination to make the remaining time under Klopp the best yet. Klopp, in his announcement, emphasized that he is leaving the club due to running out of energy, expressing confidence in his decision and hinting at the possibility that he may not manage another football team in the future.