Jurgen Klopp has denied his Liverpool future will be determined by the English weather, saying his agent was just making a joke.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss has overseen a return to prominence at Liverpool since taking over for Brendan Rodgers nearly four years ago.
In addition to taking his team to multiple finals, he secured his first piece of silverware with the Reds last season, as Liverpool captured their sixth Champions League trophy.
While Klopp’s contract runs through to 2022, the club are anxious to see the German extend his stay even longer and may have been concerned when Klopp’s agent, Marc Kosicke, had suggested in an interview with DAZN the weather in England could play a role in whether or not the manager decided to extend his time at Anfield.
But speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League opener against Napoli, Klopp denied that talk, saying Kosicke was just making a joke that people took too seriously.
"He wanted to make a joke,” Klopp told reporters. “I have to be serious. German humour, nobody got it. The weather was never a reason for me to choose a city.
"It's not a reason for me to leave the country. Maybe at the moment it's the most healthy weather in the world - we have enough rain, it's cool, pretty much the opposite of this room!
“There's nothing in that story. He's my agent and my friend."
Liverpool’s 2019-20 Champions League campaign begins at a familar place against Napoli, who the Reds beat out to make the knockout stage in last year’s competition.
Napoli did not make it easy, defeating Liverpool at the Stadio San Paolo before narrowly falling at Anfield in the final group stage game.
And Klopp is hopeful his side will be up to the task this year, noting they have not given him any reason thus far to doubt them.
"Can I be sure that something like [the Napoli loss last year] won't happen again?” Klopp said.
“No, but the boys haven't given me any signs to think it.
“Let's use our skills, stay in the game, fight for everything."
