"It's one year too many for him" - Former PSG star Jerome Rothen slams Jurgen Klopp for not leaving role as Liverpool manager

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has faced criticism from former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Jerome Rothen for not stepping down from his role as the manager. The Reds have fumbled in the Premier League this season.

Considered one of the title challengers before the start of the campaign, Klopp's team have failed to fulfill those expectations. They find themselves placed eighth in the league table with only 10 wins from 22 games.

Rothen has now claimed that Klopp should have stepped down from his role and given the team the chance to rebuild on their own. He said:

"Jürgen Klopp should have done his self-criticism and let Liverpool rebuild without him. It's one year too many for him."

The German took charge of the Premier League giants back in October 2015. He has been at the helm for 413 matches, 256 of which the Reds have won.

The Anfield club have conquered the Premier League title, the UEFA Champions League trophy, and more under Jurgen Klopp's tutelage. Hence, despite the lackluster performances this season, his position as the manager hasn't come under serious criticism.

Rothen, however, has a different take on the matter. He believes Klopp shouldn't be the man at the helm anymore. Apart from their poor position in the league, the Reds have also been eliminated from the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.

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Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson itching to face Real Madrid at Anfield

Newcastle United v Liverpool FC - Premier League

The Reds are set to be back in action soon as they take on Real Madrid in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League at Anfield later tonight. Ahead of the match, Henderson claimed that these are the occasions that the prestigious stadium lives for.

Henderson wrote in his program notes (via the club's official website):

“It doesn’t seem too long ago that the fact Liverpool and Real Madrid had met so seldomly outside of European Cup finals was a bit of a curiosity, Now we’ve got a tie which means we will have come up against them six times in five years – eight if you go back to 2014 – and I have to be honest, it is the kind of rivalry that I could never get too much of."

He added:

“Results have gone in their favour more than ours and, of course, this is something we want and need to change if we are to go further in this season’s Champions League. But no matter how big the challenge is – and it’s never short of being very big when you come up against Real Madrid – these are the games that you live for as a player and as a supporter."

Real Madrid hold the upper hand over Liverpool in their recent meetings. They most recently defeated the Merseyside club in the 2022 Champions League final.