At 10:36 on January 26, 2024 an announcement the performance of one of essentially the most respected managers in football shocked fans world wide: Jürgen Klopp decided to leave Liverpool FC.
As a Liverpool FC fan, I believed twice when my cell phone rang information alert and I experienced a moment of shock and loss. Klopp has had a huge impact on football and it seems his legacy will proceed to be felt long after he leaves Anfield.
Klopp’s announcement was accompanied by: 25-minute interview, during which the football manager presented the explanations for his departure. “My source of energy is not unlimited,” he explained, hinting that his overall well-being had deteriorated over time.
Well-being and high performance of football coaches
Well-being is a complex concept it includes how a person feels and the way he functions – it tells us how satisfied he’s together with his life.
My tests focuses on how skilled soccer coaches experience and perceive well-being. I interviewed coaches to ask what they believed well-being was and the way they experienced it. They discussed how their physical and mental energy is influenced by a combination of aspects, including home and work life and relationships with colleagues and family. Their concentrate on energy is in line with Klopp’s reflections. Several coaches also admitted during this study that this was the primary opportunity for them to talk openly about their well-being.
Perhaps this will not be surprising. After all, competitive coaches rarely talk publicly about their well-being. By speaking openly and truthfully, Klopp has set a precedent for other football coaches to follow, and his interview could leave a lasting legacy in the game.
Vulnerability and abuse in skilled sports
High performance sports environments It will not be all the time protected for athletes and managers to speak about feeling vulnerable or ask for support as it may be seen as a sign of weakness.
However, tests showed that there must be more conversations about vulnerability in skilled sports, on condition that athletes and managers are at greater risk of physical or emotional attack, harm or injury.
Sadly, there have been many examples over the previous few years, including the attack on Newcastle’s manager Eddie Howe by a fan in 2023 Several players reported abuse they accept each on and off the pitch. This doesn’t just apply to players and managers: the Premier League Judge Mike Dean stepped down in February 2021, after he and his family received death threats.
My research showed that the verbal abuse and stress experienced by Premier League managers not only affects their wellbeing but additionally their families. For example in 2021 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed that his family had received threats via social media.
One of the most important aspects behind the relentless harassment and lack of support is the male culture of football.
Win in any respect costs
Men’s football culture is like this synonymous with aggressive masculinity. There is win in any respect costs mentality and expectation of adapting to socially desirable requirements gender norms and behaviorscomparable to participation to annoy Or abusive behavior – often on the expense of vulnerable people.
For example, in my research, one coach recounted an incident where he asked for wellbeing support and was told by a manager to “fuck off.” It’s no wonder that many individuals don’t all the time feel this manner secure enough to show any signs of vulnerability, sometimes out of fear of losing their job. As such, in search of mental health support is usually stigmatized in men’s football.
In contrast, there have been reports of where footballers like Delete AND Jadon Sancho they opposed the sport hypermasculine culture of silence expressing their well-being concerns.
By comparison, skilled soccer coaches have not been this open – until now.
Klopp is encouraging other coaches to put their well-being first
Klopp’s honesty about his situation could pave the way in which for coaches to be more open about their well-being and de-stigmatize signs of weakness.
The effect of the Klopp interview seemed immediate. Within 24 hours, Barcelona manager Xavi he expressed his concerns about his well-being and announced that he too would step down from his position. “I used to be a club man. Even for myself, I made it a priority. I gave my all,” he said. “From a mental health perspective, it’s difficult…the battery keeps getting drained.” His statement reflected the feelings of Klopp and the coaches involved in our research.
Hopefully, announcements like this are a sign of things to come – more high-achieving sports coaches who will help change the culture of men’s soccer for the higher.
