The Legacy of Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool
With Jürgen Klopp’s final match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the horizon, I delve into his ten most pivotal moments as Liverpool manager and the profound influence his legacy will have on Liverpool’s future triumphs.
This Is Anfield
Jürgen Klopp will manage his final match for Liverpool this Sunday against Wolverhampton Wanderers. In an incredible season filled with ups and downs, Liverpool ended the Klopp era with one final trophy and a top-four finish.
Many fans will say, “Liverpool have failed for not winning the league,” but I digress. After last season, Liverpool was expected to be top-four contenders, not title contenders. Through all the injuries and poor refereeing decisions, Liverpool found themselves battling two sides who were simply better than them for eight months. Klopp seemed to have found personal rejuvenation with this new squad they had built last summer, but they would eventually run out of steam during the most crucial hurdle.
But Klopp is leaving this team, club, and fanbase in safe hands. Michael Edwards, who returns as CEO of Footballing Operations, alongside Richard Hughes, who takes over as Director of Football, will now run the ship in Liverpool’s new era.
Klopp has left a stabilized club with a young squad, revamped stadium, and incredible investment, making the Liverpool job even more enticing than it was eight and a half years ago. Something that, often, many clubs fail to do once an almost god-level icon leaves a football institution.
I always felt that Liverpool wouldn’t have to deal with a Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger-style departure, where an aging squad is left for a new manager to fix. Klopp had bowed out on his terms and has comfortably left solid, younger pieces to be used for the new manager, Arne Slot.
As Klopp enters his final days as Liverpool boss, we look back at the most critical moments of his time on Merseyside.
This Is Anfield
#10: Introduction to the Normal One
The Press Conference. Doubter to Believer.
Everything the man said, he delivered.
Klopp’s first Liverpool press conference and the moment he brought the entire fanbase together will forever be etched in my head. He understood his assignment immediately and wanted to show everyone that he was just as big a football fan as the supporters. It didn’t seem like the dull, disingenuous answers that became frequently littered across the sports world; it felt genuine.
“I don’t want to describe myself. Does anyone in this room think I can do wonders? No? I’m a very normal guy,” Klopp said. “I come from the Black Forest and my mother may be sitting in front of the TV, watching this press conference and has no word until now. But she is very proud. So, I’m a totally normal guy. I’m the normal one, maybe, if you want this…”
From that moment, the irreplaceable bond that grew between the supports and Klopp was created.
The way he spoke that day signified the beginnings of something completely new. The mentality shift, and how he garnered support from the fanbase from day one brought everyone together and made people realize that if given the time, we could build something special together.
“It’s only important that we play our own game and the players feel the confidence and trust of the people,” Klopp said. “It’s really important that the players feel the difference. They have to think they can reach the expectations of the fans, the press. You have to change from doubter to believer. We have to start together, new then we will see what will happen this year.”
The Mirror
#9: Liverpool 2 West Bromwich Albion 2
Thank you fans.
At the beginning of Jürgen’s tenure, Liverpool were losing 2-1 to West Brom at home. Goals from Craig Dawson and Jonas Olsson gave Tony Pulis’ side the lead at Anfield. However, Divock Origi’s deflected equalizer in the 96th minute saw Liverpool earn a draw.
At the end of the match, Klopp grabbed his players and lined them up in front of the Kop End, where they celebrated with the fans, who cheered them on until the final whistle.
“It was the best atmosphere since I came here,” said Klopp in an interview with the Evening Standard. “Of course people are disappointed, but they didn’t let us feel that. They saw that the lads tried everything and played football.”
During Klopp’s first few home games, Anfield struggled to build an atmosphere. Klopp didn’t ridicule it but often pushed the crowd to sing and get behind the team. It wasn’t until this match that we saw how Anfield could steer a result in Liverpool’s favor, pushing the team to grab a point.
If we look at Klopp’s time at Dortmund, he turned Signal Iduna Park into one of the best atmospheres in Europe. Emotions are one of the key components of Klopp’s football, so keeping the crowd engaged makes the players push harder for the result.
Drawing against West Brom didn’t win them the league, but it did win the fans’ support for the club’s direction.
Anfield Online
#8: 2024 Carabao Cup Final
The kids are alright.
The Carabao Cup will be the final trophy that Jürgen Klopp will win at Liverpool, and it was one of the finest achievements of his career.
Liverpool was riddled with injuries during their Carabao Cup Final against Chelsea, but Klopp’s trust in his youth players paid dividends as they beat Chelsea 1-0 in extra time. Klopp fielded Jayden Danns (18), Bobby Clark (19), and James McConnell (19), the most teenagers in a Carabao Cup Final in 17 years. Harvey Elliot and Conor Bradley (both 20), alongside Ryan Gravenberch (21), were all featured in the starting 11. It was also the first time Liverpool fielded three U21 players in a final in the club’s history.
“What we see today is so exceptional,” Klopp said in a press conference post-match. “We might never see it again, these things don’t happen in football. Apparently, you don’t win trophies with kids, I didn’t know that.”
“It is easily the most special trophy I’ve ever won. It’s absolutely exceptional. I wish I could feel pride more often; tonight, that’s the overwhelming feeling—nothing to do with maybe my last game at Wembley. It was how everyone contributed.”
Reuters
#7: Liverpool 4 Borussia Dortmund 3
Ein Kampf mit alten Freunden.
During Klopp’s first Europa League run with Liverpool, they faced his former club, Borussia Dortmund, in the quarter-final. In one of the most thrilling matches of the Klopp era, Liverpool defeated one of the finest-coached sides in Europe under Thomas Tuchel, 4-3.
A Dortmund side featuring Marco Reus, Matts Hummels, Ilkay Gündogan, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan had a 3-1 lead, leading 4-2 on aggregate (with the away goals rule) with only 30 minutes left in the match. Goals from Divock Origi, Phillipe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho, and Dejan Lovren sparked one of the greatest comebacks in Anfield history, winning in the 91st minute.
It would be one of the first great Anfield European nights that became a staple during Klopp’s time in Merseyside.
Liverpool FC
#6: Liverpool 5 AS Roma 2
‘Allez Allez Allez!’
It will forever be my favorite Liverpool match.
Liverpool had just defeated Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-final of the Champions League, and we had drawn Italian side AS Roma in the semi-final. It was the first season of Liverpool’s famous front three, forming one of the deadliest attacks in Europe: Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, and Mohammed Salah.
Mohammed Salah scored an absolute peach of a goal against future Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. It was PEAK attacking Liverpool, a period when the attack was the best form of defense and when Liverpool’s high press and ‘heavy metal football’ hit their ceiling. When we look at the following season, Liverpool becomes a more mature side, killing games off and never allowing the opposition to get themselves back into the game.
The 17/18 Liverpool side is defensively frustrating but attackingly brilliant. This semi-final tie reminds me of the most common theme that year: Liverpool could easily score four but ship away five.
Liverpool didn’t win the Champions League that year, losing to Real Madrid in Kyiv, but it was the first season in which Liverpool made great strides in all competitions. It was the first Champions League final since 2007, and Liverpool finished in back-to-back top-four positions in the Premier League since the 2008/2009 season.
Jürgen’s football is working, and the patience will pay off.
The Week
#5: Alisson Becker’s Wonder Goal
“A hero needed in red, or maybe black. Make yourself a story. It’s Alexander-Arnold, OH IT’S ALISSON! UNBELIEVABLE! The big Brazilian stopper has only gone forward and scored a header with the last touch of the game.”
From the incredible highs of watching football with fans in stadiums to the dreadful cardboard cutouts and fake fan noise that circulated our television screens for nine months, it sucked the life out of me and many other football fans.
During that weird 20/21 season, I’m sure many people worldwide felt lonely and hopeless. Society was going through difficult moments because of the constant up-and-down cycle of lockdowns, people not being able to see their family or friends, and, unfortunately, losing close loved ones.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker tragically lost his father before an away match against West Brom. Due to travel restrictions, Becker couldn’t attend his father’s funeral.
Liverpool are drawing a crucial game against West Brom 1-1. They need a win to secure Champions League qualification for the following season. Trent Alexander-Arnold whips a corner in, and Becker scores an absolutely stunning header to win the match in extra time.
Once the goal goes in, we see Alisson look up into the sky and almost thank his dad for this moment. It showed the mental toughness and togetherness that this Liverpool squad had.
“I’m too emotional, this last month for everything that has happened with me and my family, but football is my life, I played since I can remember with my father,” he said after the win at West Brom. “I hope he was here to see it, but I’m sure he has seen it with God at his side and is celebrating.
It was a special moment during a challenging time.
The Independent
#4: Liverpool 4 Barcelona 3
Never Give Up.
I remember leaving my college and heading home to watch the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between FC Barcelona and Liverpool. It was 2019, and Liverpool was flying in Europe and the Premier League. However, this Barcelona side had Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Phillipe Coutinho, and Ousmane Dembele, who were on the cusp of winning the La Liga title in Spain—hardly pushovers.
I called my good friend Yousuf, and we sat in my living room and watched Lionel Messi drive Barcelona to victory, winning 3-0 on the night. Liverpool didn’t play badly; the individual brilliance of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were the outliers in the match.
I remember telling Yousuf at the end of the match, “Remember, they still have to play at Anfield.”
Going into the second match, I always felt that if Liverpool had scored in the first ten minutes, there was a huge opportunity to win it. Anfield was up for it and produced one of the most outstanding sports atmospheres I’d ever seen: every single tackle was cheered, the whistling whenever Barcelona had the ball. Klopp motivated the crowd to sing whenever he felt a dip in the atmosphere.
It completely ate them alive.
Liverpool scored four goals against Barcelona. Gini Wijnaldum and Divock Origi sent Liverpool to the Champions League Final. Undergunned without Salah or Firmino, Liverpool completed a historic comeback.
Jürgen’s mentality monsters.
Liverpool FC
#3: Liverpool’s Dismantling of Manchester United
“Liverpool utopia. An unimaginable zenith. Manchester United, a crushing nadir. Inexplicable, illogical, irrational, scarcely digestible, barely conceivable. The story of Anfield of restored faith. Restored verve. Restored appetite. That is Liverpool, as you remember him. And that is Manchester United as they would rather forget.”
Liverpool’s 5-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford is one of the best performances of the Klopp era. Under any manager, Liverpool has always struggled away from home at Old Trafford, so to destroy Manchester United in this big derby match is one of Klopp’s finest moments as Liverpool manager.
Liverpool was in an intense title race with Manchester City, and every match felt like a cup final. From the first minute, Liverpool shot out intensely and dominated every facet of the game. By half-time, the game looked like a training session. I had never seen a United side dominated, which they were on that day.
Then there was last season.
Liverpool struggled to live with the highs of the 22/23 season, languishing just outside the Champions League places. Another season of injuries and poor form left Klopp’s side out of the title race and struggling to find any momentum into the season’s final stretch. An in-form Manchester United side arrived at Anfield and was cast as favorites for the match, as Erik Ten Hag’s side sat above Liverpool in the league table.
Liverpool would decimate Manchester United 7-0. It was mind-boggling.
“So this season, if we don’t do something special, will be remembered for the 7-0 against United. I hope when people speak about it in a few years they will look back on it and [say], ‘That is the year we beat United 7-0’ and that they could say something nice on top of that. And after that we qualified still for whatever. “
“That will be nice, but if not then we have to take that as well,” said Klopp in his post-match interview after their win against Manchester United.
It is now the biggest win in the history of the fixture.
Liverpool FC
#2: The Sixth European Cup
“We start today in a difficult league against opponents who are bigger and bigger but, in a special Liverpool way, we can be successful. We can wait for it, I don’t want to say we have to wait for 20 years, but when I sit here in four years, I’m pretty sure we will have won a title.”
Four years later, Liverpool won the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur.
Questions about Klopp’s credibility in finals and Liverpool’s lack of trophies were beginning to arise. It’d be four years, and Liverpool still hadn’t won a trophy under Klopp.
After heartbreaking drama against domestic rivals Manchester City, losing the title on the final day by one point, Liverpool prepared for their third European Cup final under Klopp in Madrid.
The incredible comeback against Barcelona in the semi-final sparked the feeling amongst Liverpool fans that they were destined to win it. Still, their opponents were an excellent Tottenham side coached by Mauricio Pochettino. They had just defeated Ajax in their historic comeback in Holland, sending themselves to their first Champions League Final in the club’s history.
It will go down as Klopp’s most professional performance in Liverpool.
Liverpool controlled the match from start to finish and played an excellent defensive game, winning 2-0. Goals from Mohammed Salah and Divock Origi secured Liverpool’s sixth European Cup, Klopp’s first trophy with Liverpool.
Sky Sports
#1: Ending The 30 Year Wait
Mentality Monsters
After winning the Champions League Final in 2019, many had pipped Manchester City to become back-to-back champions. Liverpool hadn’t spent much in the transfer window that summer, so many assumed they didn’t do enough to build on their incredible season.
Liverpool would go on and win the title by 18 points, winning 32 matches, finishing on 99 points.
I had never seen a team win games they had that season before the COVID-19 shutdown. Every game was treated as their last, comfortably putting teams away within the first half. The forwards were clinical, the defense was stingy, and everything fell into place for Liverpool to win the league that year.
The only unfortunate moment was that there were no fans to celebrate with, but the club did a great job of honoring the trophy in the Kop End.
Klopp set out to bring Liverpool back to the top in fantastic style and succeeded tremendously.
Liverpool FC
Final Thoughts
Growing up, I felt that football was just a sport.
Watching it from afar, having played myself for most of my life, it was something that could teach me new ways to read the game. To understand the various aspects, positions, and styles of play. What distinguishes a German side from a Spanish one?
As Jürgen Klopp leaves Liverpool, I am briefly reminded that none of that matters. What football is about are moments.
You will look back and reflect upon periods of your life, either with a great smile or disappointment. A team would often shoot above their weight and come out on top.
Emotional matches, comebacks, and incredible atmospheres.
Trophies, great players, fantastic staff, and words of wisdom.
They may not have won as much as they did or perhaps should’ve, but they created moments in those seasons that will last a lifetime.
Klopp won’t be a Premier League winner this season or have won the Europa League against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. He instead walked away with a cup, a fantastic young squad, and the foundations for the future success of Liverpool 2.0.
If we reflect and look back at Klopp’s time at Anfield, it was real. It didn’t feel disingenuous, illegal, or otherwise dull. We learned how it feels to build something and win, but also how to deal with loss.
Not everything in life goes as we wish, but we make the most of it.
That’s the Klopp era, in a nutshell.
It is a beautiful way to end an illustrious career.
“It’s not important what people think when you come in; it’s much more important what people think when you leave.” — Jürgen Klopp.
Liverpool FC
