Jürgen Klopp

Lore & Background

Klopp spent most of his playing career at Mainz 05, initially as a striker before moving to defence. He retired in 2001 and became Mainz's manager, securing Bundesliga promotion in 2004. After relegation in 2006–07 and failing to achieve promotion, he resigned in 2008 as the club's longest-serving manager. He then managed Borussia Dortmund, winning the Bundesliga in 2010–11, a domestic double, and two DFL-Supercup titles (2013, 2014), and finishing runner-up in the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League. He left in 2015 as Dortmund's longest-serving manager. Klopp was appointed Liverpool manager in 2015, guiding them to Champions League finals in 2018 and 2022, winning the trophy in 2019. He won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, then Liverpool's first Premier League title in 2019–20. He won a cup double (EFL Cup and FA Cup) in 2022, another EFL Cup in 2024, and departed that same year. After a two-year break, he became Germany head coach in 2026.

In Their Own Story

The tunnel at Anfield, 89 minutes into a Saturday evening in February. The score is 1-1. The away end is silent; the home end is a wall of sound that vibrates in the sternum. Klopp is not on the bench. He is standing in the middle of the pitch, arms wide, mouth open, pointing at the ball, pointing at the players, pointing at the sky. His eyes are wet. He does not know the result yet. He does not need to. The noise is the result. He turns, jogs back toward the dugout, and the players are already running past him, and he is running with them, and for eleven seconds nobody on that pitch is a manager or a player or a fan. They are one animal, breathing the same air, and the roar does not stop until the final whistle, and even then it does not stop, because it was never about the whistle.

Reader's Guide

Klopp is a notable proponent of Gegenpressing, where his team immediately attempts to win back possession after losing it. He describes his sides as playing 'heavy metal' football. His main influences are Arrigo Sacchi and Wolfgang Frank. He emphasizes emotion and is known for enthusiastic touchline celebrations.

Did You Know?

• Klopp was born in Stuttgart on 16 June 1967 and grew up in the Black Forest village of Glatten.
• He worked part-time jobs including at a video rental store and loading lorries while playing as an amateur.
• Klopp obtained a diploma in sports science from Goethe University Frankfurt, writing his thesis on walking.
• He is Mainz 05's record goal scorer with 56 goals (52 league goals).
• Klopp's assistant Željko Buvač partnered with him for 17 years at Mainz, Dortmund, and Liverpool.