Thierry Henry has claimed it’s tough to be a manager at the biggest clubs because “no one cares about you”, leading to managers like Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Jurgen Klopp needing time off.
Klopp announced in January that he would be stepping down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, revealing that he was running out of energy.
It is widely expected that Klopp will take a break from management although he continues to be linked with clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, as well as the German national team.
Barça are also in need of a manager with Xavi announcing on the same weekend as Klopp that he too would be stepping down.
Results have turned for the former Spain international, leaving Barca well of the pace in LaLiga and eliminated from the Copa del Rey.
Having won the league last season, it is a stunning development for Xavi and Barca but Henry, a former teammate, is not surprised.
He also worked under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, winning the treble in 2009, but it was three years later when Guardiola stated he didn’t have the energy to continue to instead began a sabbatical year.
Pep eventually surfaced at Bayern before moving on to Manchester City and winning another treble with Manchester City last season.
Although these “dream jobs” are ideal opportunities for managers to showcase their talents, Henry believes it is lonely at the top and the demands are excessive.
Managing elite clubs, the CBS pundit says, leaves little time for anything else and fatigue is inevitable.
“Pep was at Barcelona, took a sabbatical year. Klopp is at Liverpool, is stopping. Xavi is at Barcelona, he is also stopping. Three great clubs,” he told CBS Sports Golazo as part of a passionate speech.
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“That’s a dream job normally and they are stopping. That tells you a story. The pressure, everybody has a voice, social media and whatnot. It is tough to be a manager and no one cares about you. You’re going to have to take care of yourself at one point.
“I understand that it’s very nice for fans and everybody involved, journalists, but do not think only about yourself and thinking that the Premier League will miss Klopp, that Liverpool will miss Klopp. We know that, we know that is true.
“But he was missing his family, he was missing his own time, he was missing his sanity. So good for him.
“When I got the news, I was like: ‘Good for you.’”