Klopp, You’ll Never Walk Alone

The Bundesliga season came to an end on June 30, 2015, along with manager Jürgen Klopp’s tenure at Borussia Dortmund. Tears were shed in an emotional departure as the history maker finally left after his seven years of managing the Black and Yellows. During his time as manager for the German side, Klopp brought huge success to the club through his innovative gegenpressing tactics, which revolutionized Dortmund’s play. After the players adjusted to Klopp’s style of gegenpressing—pressuring the other team immediately after losing the ball—Dortmund qualified for Europe for the first time in seven years. 

This tactic led to loads of silverware, as Klopp transformed the team into a title contender in a league dominated by Bayern Munich. Impressively, Klopp’s side won the Bundesliga consecutively during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons, just three years after he arrived. However, he soon realized that he had, in a way, become larger than the club, with Dortmund’s every success being viewed in light of himself. Not wanting his name to hinder the development of the team, Klopp decided that parting ways would be mutually beneficial and set his sights on greater things. Where was he headed for? English powerhouse Liverpool.

The German manager joined the Merseyside team on October 8, 2015, after former manager Brendan Rodgers was sacked by the club. His tenure in Liverpool didn’t get off to a strong start, as the team finished sixth in the league that season and dropped down to the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group. However, their breakthrough came during the 2016/17 season, when Klopp led Liverpool to fourth place ahead of big teams like Arsenal and Manchester United. After this season, securing a top-four finish became routine for the English giants.

 The Reds went on to tally an impressive 97 points in the 2018/19 season, but somehow, fell short of Manchester City’s league-winning 98 points. Despite not winning the title, the season was still an incredible accomplishment, ranking as the fourth-highest points total in Premier League history. This fierce rivalry against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City would persist, with City claiming the title on a few more occasions, even after a Liverpool tally of 92 points. Yet, it was also this intense competition between the two that fueled their will to win and accomplish what they had achieved. “We cannot define our period here together without him and Liverpool; it is impossible,” Guardiola said. However, after years of falling short, the 2018/19 season proved to be the one where Klopp would take Liverpool on their miraculous Champions League run. 

Klopp’s Liverpool started the competition poorly. After losing to FK Crvena Zvezda and Napoli on matchdays two and four, respectively, the Reds’ Champions League run seemed to be a foregone conclusion. However, thanks to a win over Napoli on the final matchday, Liverpool advanced to the round of 16 as second in their group. Though they had qualified, Klopp’s men had to take on Munich, a familiar foe for Klopp. After drawing the first leg 0-0, all would be at stake in the final leg at Allianz Arena. In the return fixture, Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory, with Senegalese winger Sadio Mané scoring a brace to punch Liverpool’s ticket to the next round.

After defeating Porto 6-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, up came the strongest opponent of the whole tournament: Barcelona. Featuring star players like Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez and legendary Argentinian winger Lionel Messi, Barcelona were going to be a tough opponent for the Reds.

During their visit to the Camp Nou, Klopp struggled as his team suffered a 3-0 defeat. Following this shocking result, Klopp faced significant backlash regarding the outcome. “I would say [Barcelona manager] Mr. [Ernesto] Valverde did everything right, and I did everything wrong––that’s in football how it is,” Klopp said.

His optimistic attitude towards the second leg would be tested again on game day, where key forwards Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah were unable to play. However, Klopp’s magic came into play when he put striker Divock Origi in the starting lineup and called upon super-sub center midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum to support the attack.

Leading for much of the first half, it wasn’t until the 54th minute when Wijnaldum scored that Liverpool started to believe. Two minutes later, he added another, making the score 3-0, good enough for a draw but not enough to secure their victory.

In the 79th minute, a miracle occurred. Right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, seemingly walking away from a corner, quickly sprinted back and delivered a beautiful cross to Origi for which the Barcelona defense was not ready. The set piece resulted in the iconic cry: “Corner taken quickly... Origi!” Liverpool scored their fourth goal of the game, winning 4-3 on aggregate and earning a ticket to Madrid. 

In the final, the Reds had to face fellow English side Tottenham Hotspur, a familiar team that they had played countless times. Klopp showcased his managerial prowess once again, as Liverpool dominated the game and ultimately emerged victorious in a 2-0 win. Klopp resurrected the team and guided them to lift the club’s sixth Champions League trophy after a 14-year drought. 

The very next season, Liverpool would go on to win the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and, most importantly, the Premier League—30 years removed from their last league title. In addition, the Reds won it with the second-highest points total in Premier League history, amassing an admirable 99 points. 

However, even with all of this silverware, Klopp fell short of many more trophies. He was a runner-up in two Champions League finals, the Europa League final, and the League Cup final, and he finished second in two Premier League campaigns with 90+ points. Though it may seem like Klopp doesn’t have the killer instinct to win titles, the simple fact that Liverpool made this many finals appearances shows his underappreciated talent. Behind all of this success was Klopp. 

But what made Klopp so successful? Though Klopp effectively used tactics like gegenpressing, his success largely came from his unique personality and ability to utilize new players. Klopp is known for his expressive goal celebrations and post-match embraces, creating close bonds between the players and the manager. He has truly changed the club’s ethos with his unique persona.

Along with this, he transformed new players and integrated them into his system. When players like Mané, right winger Mohamed Salah, center-back Virgil Van Dijk, and goalkeeper Alisson joined Liverpool, they were not well-known and played at smaller clubs like Southampton and Roma. However, after joining Liverpool, they became the best in the world at their positions. Klopp’s ability to improve players and seamlessly integrate them into his system makes him one of Liverpool’s greatest managers, right behind Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly.

Now, after almost nine years at the club, Klopp will be leaving Liverpool. In a recent interview, he shockingly announced that he will be stepping down after the 2023/24 season. “It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy,” Klopp said. After going through the highs and lows with this team, Klopp concludes his decorated career as a Red. As he departs, his legacy as a legendary manager will endure, and just like Liverpool’s motto, he’ll never walk alone.