Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, looks on during the Premier League game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, April 1, 2023. /CFP
Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, said he is "not afraid" of being fired by the club after 12 Premier League managers lost their jobs in the ongoing 2022-23 season.
Having lost to Manchester City 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium on April 1, Liverpool dropped to eighth in the Premier League standings. They are eight points away from the UEFA Champions League qualification zone (top four). With 11 games to go, it is growing increasingly difficult for them to catch up.
"I'm aware of the fact that I am sitting here because of the past, not because of what we did this season," Klopp said at a press conference on Monday. "We have smart owners – they know about the situation. If this was my first season, it would be slightly different."
"I'm not afraid [of the sack], no. There's no need for being afraid, I need to deliver. I am not here as a mural on house walls, I am here to deliver. I am fully in – but we have to sort this. We cannot just continue playing how we do from time to time. I am really disappointed about us that we do this but it happens. We have to find a way out," he added.
Premier League has witnessed a new record of manager departures this season – 12 of them have lost their jobs during this campaign. Graham Potter, sacked by Chelsea on Sunday, had earlier this season voluntarily left his role at Brighton to take over the managerial reins at Stamford Bridge. Here is the list of managerial departures from the ongoing season:
Scott Parker of Bournemouth on August 30, 2022
Thomas Tuchel of Chelsea on September 7, 2022
Graham Potter of Brighton on September 8, 2022
Bruno Lage of Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 2, 2022
Steven Gerrard of Aston Villa on October 21, 2022
Ralph Hasenhuttl of Southampton on November 7, 2022
Frank Lampard of Everton on January 23, 2023
Jesse Marsch of Leeds United on February 6, 2023
Nathan Jones of Southampton on February 12, 2023
Patrick Vieira of Chrystal Palace, March 17, 2023
Antonio Conte of Tottenham Hotspur on March 26, 2023
Brendan Rodgers of Leicester City on April 2, 2023
Graham Potter of Chelsea on April 2, 2023
"What can I say about that [the sackings]? The elephant in the room is probably why am I still sitting here in this crazy world? Last man standing," Klopp told reporters while calling those sackings "awful." "We all accept that part of the business and that's it pretty much. But that's it, it's a strange week I would say."
Liverpool will visit the Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on Tuesday.