West Ham United forward Michail Antonio claims that family reasons played a role in Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Liverpool
West Ham United forward Michail Antonio asserted that the family of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp want to go back home to Germany. Klopp announced that he will step back from the managerial post at the end of the current season.
The 56-year-old expressed that he is feeling burnt out and lacks the energy to continue working at Liverpool. The Reds fanbase felt distraught due to the surprising news but understood the reasons behind it. For the Liverpool fans, the mental and physical well-being of their beloved manager supersedes everything else.
Nevertheless, many pundits, rival fans and neutral fanbase are coming up with their own set of reasonings behind the decisions. The announcement also opened up the barrage of rumours about instability at the club and important personnel at Liverpool.
Many rumours about the contract situation of captain Virgil van Dijk, vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah popped up. Even though, the trio have 18 months left in their contract which leaves ample time for negotiation.
Speaking on The Players Channel podcast, Antonio revealed the information he learnt from his “sources” within the football realm. He said:
“To be fair, I heard on the grapevine last season he was thinking about leaving. But after what they did last year and what they are doing this year, I was very surprised to be fair that he has announced he is going. What I heard, and it might not be true, is that his family just want to go back home to be fair. That’s what the rumours were.”
The 33-year-old has spent more time talking about Liverpool in podcasts than playing for the Hammers. One could easily misjudge Antonio as a player who retired last season and is currently working as a football pundit.
"I'm pretty sure everybody, besides Liverpool supporters, thinks we could lose there"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 3, 2024
Jurgen Klopp on taking on Arsenal at the Emirates pic.twitter.com/7ci57EeZLY
Recently, the Hammer striker expressed his desire to see Manchester City or Arsenal win the Premier League title over Liverpool. Before Liverpool clashed with West Ham in September, he bragged about the Hammers finishing over the Reds.
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Liverpool beat West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League game that followed Antonio’s comments. The 33-year-old faced mockery from the Reds fanbase following the humiliation added to poor individual performance from him.
It seems that Liverpool have been living freely on Antonio’s head ever since September, an unnecessary issue that he created. Nonetheless, the Reds and Klopp maintain full focus on the current season, with a crucial Premier League clash against Arsenal on the horizon and everything at stake.
