When considering whether Jurgen Klopp might ever grace the Premier League again after he leaves Liverpool this summer, perhaps it’s wise to consider the cautionary tale of Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Ralph’s retirement
If Hasenhuttl had his time again, he might reconsider his choice of words when speaking about how desperate he was to avoid ending up like Roy Hodgson who was still managing in the Premier League aged 74.
In February 2022, Hasenhuttl said he hoped to manage Southampton until 2024 before retiring from professional management.
The Austrian’s exact words were: “That’s the solid plan and I hope I have the strength to pull it off. I want to put Southampton on a very healthy footing by 2024, but then that was it.
Then I’ll be 57 years old. I’d like to experience other things and not sit on the bench like Roy Hodgson at 74. Definitely not.”
The best-laid plans
Regrettably for Hasenhuttl, he wasn’t given the chance to see out his ideal route to retirement as Southampton sacked him just nine months later with the Saints stranded in the relegation zone.
Still, that should have been the last the world saw of Hasenhuttl given his insistence on leaving management behind him.
This is why it would have come as a surprise for football fans to see the Austrian accept the manager’s role at Wolfsburg after putting pen to paper on a long-term contract at the Volkswagen Arena in March 2024.
So, why the change of heart?
The answer is that Hasenhuttl gravely misunderstood why managers like Hodgson continue to work well into their seventies. It’s certainly not for financial gain, but rather the inability to give up a job they love—one that gives them both purpose and identity.
With that said, Hasenhuttl probably realizes this now which is why he is not on a yacht in the Caribbean and rather, has agreed to manage a club in the bottom half of the Bundesliga for the foreseeable future; like Hodgson, he too can’t leave the profession.
Ultimately, was Hasenhuttl proven wrong? Yes. Was he slightly disrespectful of a manager whose expertise are still in demand at 74, certainly. However, should there also be some sympathy afforded to the Austrian given how exhausted he was? Most definitely.
Ralph Hasenhüttl dropped to his knees in tears after his side’s 1-0 win against Liverpool 😢
Look at what that win meant to him ❤️ pic.twitter.com/opAxujM9gE
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) January 4, 2021
The reality is that football management is like any job in life where everything has to be done in moderation in order to safeguard from burnout. Admittedly, it’s easier in other industries and walks of life to access the tools needed to take a break.
All work and no play
For instance, most professionals these days can benefit from flexible work arrangements while employees in the education sector often have access to well-being initiatives.
Essentially, everywhere you look, measures are in place to protect people from being overwhelmed and this isn’t just exclusive to places of work.
Indeed, another good example of just how widespread this approach is where people are encouraged to take breaks can be found in the online gaming sector as punters can learn how to use responsible gambling methods, such as self-exclusion tools, to ensure they remain in control.
Whatever the coping mechanism on offer might be, the wider point is that there is little succour available to those who occupy a Premier League dugout. Unquestionably, managing in the Premier League demands a pound of flesh and it’s impossible to find a moment to switch off given the congested calendar.
Looking back and in Hasenhuttl’s case, he had nothing left to give and subsequently said he was counting the days until retirement, whereas the truth is that the 56-year-old merely needed a break.
The Austrian’s 15 months away from the game has appeared to have done the trick and given him the energy needed for a new challenge.
The challenges Klopp faces away from the game
This leads us to Klopp who is in a very similar situation to the one Hasenhuttl was in albeit the German is stepping down from his role owing to fatigue.
While Klopp hasn’t said that he intends to give up management altogether, he has made no promises about returning only to say that he won’t manage another club in the Premier League out of respect for Liverpool.
Again, that is, in all likelihood, exhaustion talking and a promise that could be broken owing to how strong the pull is on managers at the summit of professional football.
This will be particularly acute for Klopp who has spent the last nine years working in the red-hot cauldron that is Liverpool Football Club.
Sooner or later, lying on a beach will lose its novelty and the need for the stimulation that only managing in the Premier League can provide will become all-consuming. So much so that if Klopp does come back and with a host of clubs potentially willing to make him an offer he can’t refuse, he might not be sitting in the Anfield dugout upon his return.
