When Jürgen Klopp arrived at Liverpool in 2015, he was expected to bring his “heavy metal” style, but his impact at Anfield was so much more than that.
The 56-year-old announced Friday he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season. The German manager admitted he was “running out of energy,” and chose the middle of the season to make his announcement to get in front of the news before it was leaked.
It was shocking news to not just Liverpool fans but all soccer fans because of his impact on the club and the game. Before he arrived at Anfield, Klopp had a successful run with Borussia Dortmund, where he challenged top Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. After Dortmund won the Bundesliga title in two straight seasons to start the 2010s, Bayern won the league title 11 straight times.
Klopp established Dortmund as a competitive side on the European stage, and he brought “Gegenpressing” to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool. Counterpressing wasn’t as widely of an adopted style at the time, but the clubs nowadays must be better in possession and prepare for deadly counterattacks.
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Liverpool were UEFA Europa League finalists in Klopp’s first season, but he needed time to develop the juggernaut the club would soon become. Virgil Van Dijk is the tough enforcer, but no player embodied Klopp’s and Liverpool’s spirit like Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian forward was a Chelsea castoff and found moderate success in Seria A. But when he arrived at Liverpool in 2017, he perfectly fit Klopp’s system and the front three of Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino were the best in the Premier League. Klopp and Salah embraced the fans, and the supporters reciprocated and cherished the underdog attitude they embodied.
Liverpool is known as one of the more working-class cities in England. It goes back to the Industrial Revolution and continued through the strong roots of labor movements and unions. That energy fuels the supporters of the club and the best players like Ian Rush, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard embraced.
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This should ring a bell for Boston fans. The city is one of the largest in the United States, but fans of the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox and New England Patriots treat their teams like local clubs and underdogs that need to crush their supposed white-collar counterparts. It doesn’t matter what the financials or the standings said, Boston treasures its teams like its own kids.
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In 2016, when it was announced ticket prices would increase from £59 to £77, supporters walked out during the 77th minute, the first walkout at Anfield in its 132-year history.
Klopp sympathized with fans, and the announcement soon was reversed. It’s one of multiple moments where he was in tune with the supporters. He voiced opposition to Brexit and was a notable proponent of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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The German manager is a club great for delivering an FA Cup and a UEFA Champions League title. He’ll be remembered for winning the Premier League, the first top-flight title for Liverpool in over 30 years. But Klopp will be a legend for embodying the spirit of the club and the supporters.
“No club, no country for the next year. No other English club ever,” Klopp said in a news conference, per The Athletic’s James Pearce. “Even if I have nothing to eat, it will not happen.”
Featured image via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
