Jurgen Klopp has set a date for his departure from Liverpool, with the German planning to head home when his contract at Anfield expires in 2024.
The enigmatic 53-year-old committed to fresh terms with the Reds in December 2019 and, since putting pen to paper, a first English top-flight title in 30 years has been delivered on Merseyside.
The Premier League crown has been added to the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup prizes collected over the course of a memorable 13 months.
The challenge facing Klopp is to build on that success and establish another dynasty for Liverpool.
He intends to oversee that project, but is also starting to piece together plans for the next chapter in his career.
“Four years in Liverpool,” Klopp told SWR Sport when asked how long he intends to stick around in England.
Asked if he intends to head back to Germany at that point, the Reds boss said: “Definitely to live, after my career. Most likely even to Mainz.”
Klopp concedes that anything is possible once his association with Liverpool comes to a close, with the opportunity there for him to work in another club role, a national team post or “do nothing for a year”.
A man who has been at Anfield since October 2015 is, however, aware that no long-term plans can be set in stone at this stage.
He added: “In five years the world can look very different again.”
Much has changed during his time on Merseyside, with the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 presenting another unexpected challenge.
Liverpool have wrapped up a long-awaited title triumph with no supporters in attendance to acknowledge the achievement, but Klopp maintains that a “crazy” party will be held once public health concerns have been eased.
He said on getting fans back into stadiums: “The moment we can do that again, we want to celebrate the title. Even if that is a little strange, that you celebrate a title several months later.
“But Liverpool is an exceptional club, we will surely get something done. We’re going to try to celebrate the title in a crazy way.
“We want to celebrate life. People can now plan longer so that they can be there. Maybe we can make something out of it that hasn’t been done before.”