Looking back at Klopp’s amazing Liverpool journey

Back in 2015 when Liverpool first announced that Jurgen Klopp would be taking on the reigns at Anfield, I let out a sad sigh. As an avid Arsenal fan, I was finally coming to terms that one day Arsene Wenger would have to move on and there we were, allowing every possible candidate to slip through our grasp. Every time Arsenal went into crisis mode, which they did a lot back in those days, Jurgen Klopp's name was thrown around.

This man was no joke. He dethroned Bayern Munich and won back-to-back Bundesliga titles, the DFB Pokal and two DFL Supercups. He created a club culture that made the Signal Iduna Park a scary place to visit, took Dortmund back to Europe and then dismissed Real Madrid in the semi-finals. All of this while staying true to himself. His brand of football is very much a reflection of his own personality, free-flowing, high paced and up-beat football.

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To the wire

After months of speculation, Jurgen finally signed the deal with Liverpool, a club that had fallen very far from its perch. From 2009 till 2015, they only finished once in the Champions League spot. Brendan Rodgers guided them to a strong second place finish in 2013-2014 but after some excessive summer spending demonstrating poor recruitment policy, it was time for a change and Jurgen Klopp was that change that Liverpool so desperately needed.

When he arrived, he very much understood the assignment right away. This is no ordinary club; this is the most successful English club and one that had once reigned Europe. However, their decline aligned with Manchester United and Chelsea's dominance and the losses became more frequent and heart-breaking. To lift this club was a monumental task, one that Jurgen Klopp acknowledged but did not fear.

His first season was far from the standards he sets for himself, finishing eighth in the league table but at the same time guiding Liverpool to its first European final since 2007 in the Europa League where they fell just short. The next two years were pivotal to set a foundation and he led the club back to the UEFA Champions League which helped them secure funds for transfers. Through the 2017-2018 seasons, he recruited Mohammad Salah, Andy Robertson, Alisson Becker and splurged for defender Virgil Van Dijk. All four lived up to their price tags and perhaps some would even say surpassing their expectations. Alongside the newcomers, Klopp made space for the youth, handing debuts to academy graduates, most notably Trent Alexander-Arnold, setting up a vibrant, energy busting side with Sadio Mane among the forwards.

The expenses reaped benefits; the gambles paid off. Suddenly, gone were the days of sluggish mistakes, the howlers, or the missed opportunities, 2018 was a new beginning and Klopp was the puppeteer pulling all the strings. They came agonisingly close to winning the league, having lost just once in the 2018-2019 season. The most painful thing to stomach was the fact that they were just a point shy of toppling Manchester City to the summit. The season ensured high drama and a new rivalry, one of profound respect for each other, Klopp became the sole man to challenge Pep Guardiola's dominance. In the Champions League, they made it to the final before Real Madrid handed them a loss.

Finally, came 2019. Liverpool began to play the highest level of football imaginable. It was entertaining. Watching them, it felt as if every attacking progression would end up in the back of the opponent's net. Defensively they were unshaken. No matter what was thrown at them, they blocked it off, took off the ball and then scored in the other end. There was cohesion from start to finish and a ruthlessness was instilled in them which they often lacked before. Anfield was restored and fans created an atmosphere that no matter how good you played, the minute you stepped on that pitch, you would be intimidated by its surroundings. Liverpool sat comfortably at the top and their time had finally arrived to take the domestic league title after 30 barren years. However, then, just as they began to force dominance, a coronavirus pandemic halted every single aspect of our lives.

You could not help but wonder if this was truly a curse that had settled on Liverpool, that no matter how good you are, in a flash, all that hard work would evaporate or slide out of your grasp. That is literally what had happened before Klopp had taken over and the title was Liverpool's to lose before Steven Gerrard slipped and gave the ball away for Chelsea to clinch the title. But they stayed patient and Klopp handled the challenges with grace and dignity. When the league resumed, they stepped up where they had left off and ran away with the title. It was a late party but a party none the less for a club that Jurgen Klopp sincerely rebuilt from the ground up.

In the last few seasons Klopp's antics have given us some of the most memorable moments in football. Whether it is his arm thumping to rouse the crowd after a win, whether it is his shocked open mouth moments of disbelief, or even whether it was when he pulled a hamstring while celebrating—this is a man who gets football. Most importantly, this is a man who understands the culture of football. He understands his players in a way most modern managers do not know how to or does not understand its significance. For him football is not just work, it is a place of admiration, equality, and inseparability. Even those who have worked with him for a few months say that he keeps in touch with them even long after the relation has run its professional course.

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Erik ten Hag vs Players

That is not to dismiss his personality as fragile. He is anything but that. He can play both role to its perfection because if he did not have a fire in his belly, he would not have been able to modernise an ailing club and drag them to the top. He believes that a volcanic temper is no longer an effective tool for a leader but rather one that can reach a steady level of empathy.

As his time at Liverpool comes to an end, there is a mixed feeling of sadness with his departure. On one hand, as a football fan, you wished to see him come out on top in his last dance, on the other, as an Arsenal fan you let a sign of relief that your team will hopefully have one less thing to worry about. Whatever it is, wherever he goes next, thank you Jurgen, for all the great memories and moments of madness.

Raiyan Binte Rafiq is the sports columnist for The Daily Star. She is currently pursuing an LLM, while freelancing for INDIVISA. She also oversees recruitment at Next Level Sports Management based in Bangladesh.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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