Between Klopp's departure and Salah's ambiguity.. Is Liverpool walking alone?
Liverpool has entered the final stretch of the
season, and hopes still persist about its success in eventually winning a
major title, locally or continentally.
The Reds are still competing strongly for the
English Premier League title, with Manchester City and Arsenal, with 6
rounds remaining.
On the other hand, winning the European League
title has become out of reach, after losing in the first leg of the
quarter-finals at the hands of Atalanta (0-3) at Anfield, which makes
the team need a miracle in the second leg.
Surprise Klopp
Aside from Liverpool's fate at the end of the
current season, Klopp's departure from the club next June remains what
most concerns the team's fans and the club's management.
The German coach surprised everyone a few months
ago by announcing on the club's official website his intention to end
his 9-year journey at Anfield as soon as the season ended.
Klopp's shocking decision put the fans and
management in extreme confusion, so the question remains open until this
moment: "Who will succeed the legendary coach once he leaves?"
Anonymous alternative
As soon as Klopp announced his decision, the media
began linking a number of coaches to succeed him, led by Spaniard Xabi
Alonso, coach of Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso, who previously carried the Liverpool shirt
as a player, gained the admiration of the club's management after his
historic season with Leverkusen, during which he achieved an unbeaten
streak in all tournaments, which continues until this moment.
The Spanish football legend crowned his exceptional
career by leading Leverkusen to recently win the German League title,
for the first time in the club’s history, after widening the gap with
Bayern Munich to 16 points.
Before the official coronation, Alonso dealt a blow
to Liverpool's efforts by announcing that he would continue with the
Bundesliga champion for at least another season, rejecting all
temptations coming from Europe's top players, including his former team,
which won the Champions League with him in 2005.
Because of this, Liverpool's management is still
continuing the process of searching for Klopp's successor, amid media
speculation about the identity of the next coach, whether Ruben Amorim,
Roberto De Zerbi, and some other names.
Salah's future is uncertain
In conjunction with Klopp's confirmed departure at
the end of the season, uncertainty remains over the future of Egyptian
striker Mohamed Salah, whose contract with the club expires in the
summer of 2025.
The Egyptian international was previously linked to
leaving Anfield for the Saudi League in the summer of 2023, after
receiving a huge offer from the Jeddah club.
But Liverpool stood in the way of this move, so it
was postponed for another year, amid doubts about the possibility of
Salah taking it this summer, especially after Klopp announced his
departure.
Liverpool fans fear being exposed to a double blow
at the same time, represented by the departure of the legendary coach,
one of the club's all-time top scorers, and its current top star, at the
end of the season.
But Salah may refuse to take off the Reds shirt,
and insist on staying for at least another season, raising the famous
slogan of his team’s fans, “You will never walk alone,” in order to
avoid creating a hole in the team, in addition to continuing his
historic journey at Anfield, strengthening his legendary status in the
hearts of the fans who kept chanting. In his name for years.
