10 things we'll miss about Jurgen Klopp

From giving youth a chance to compassion to playing style. And more.

1, Gives youth a chance. Pathway from academy to first team exists. Parents taking young talents know there’s a chance for their kids if they work hard. Coaches in the academy know their own hard work will be rewarded. At Liverpool, it’s not about using the academy for PSR, although that helps, it’s about developing talent for the first team. Last count? 42 under Klopp. Trent Alexander-Arnold at 18. Curtis Jones, 17. Caoimhin Kelleher, 20. Conor Bradley, 18. Jarell Quansah, 20. The League Cup final kids. The seven youngest starting XIs in Liverpool’s history all came under Klopp. That commitment to youth, the “one of our own” ethos, connects the team even more to the fans.

Jurgen Klopp. Soon farewell. Photo: James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images.

2, Humanity. Klopp has this powerful connection with Liverpool fans. Standing in front of the Kop, the emotional engagement between manager and support is almost visceral. He understands Liverpool, the crowd, the community, the city. He was awarded Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2022; the only other foreign national to be similarly honoured was Nelson Mandela. Fans love his compassion. For those enduring difficulties in life, Klopp sends them a message, occasionally invites them into training. Other managers do this, of course. They care. Klopp certainly cares. He must get inundated with requests and does what he can given the pressures on his time. He brings hope to those who need it.

3, Belief. Liverpool 4 Barcelona 0, 2019, Anfield, what a night, a privilege to be there. Klopp pressed all the buttons, emotionally, getting players and fans prepared perfectly. Mission impossible? Klopp thought otherwise. He told his players they’d been through more difficult moments in life. He got the right mood, and the right tempo launching into Barcelona. Respect but no fear. Origi 7 minutes, game on. 1-0 half-time. “We can do it.” And they did. Alexander-Arnold’s quick-thinking, Origi’s finish showed this was a game played with head as well as heart. Klopp got the balance right, and got Liverpool to the Champions League final.

4, Glory. The game’s about glory, about trophies, about the pursuit of excellence. And so to Madrid after Origi’s goal. Mo Salah and Origi scored against Spurs, and Liverpool had another European Cup. Let’s talk about six, baby. Liverpool’s history is entwined with the Trophy with the Big Ears and Klopp wove the red thread even further into the tapestry of the competition. The game’s about persistence, too; following the frustration of Kyiv the year before against Real Madrid, Klopp made sure Liverpool kept going, kept believing. A life lesson as well as sporting one.

5, Preparation. Klopp’s teams are so much more than a swarm piling forward. There’s so much method to their match-day urgency. Nutrition, throw-in coaches, sports science, marginal gains. Preparation takes in rebuilding, working with the recruitment: look at the midfield, look at the impact of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo. Klopp thinks deeply and prepares well.

6, Emotional intelligence. Few managers have this bond with their players, partly because he has been at Liverpool so long, and he’s the longest serving manager in the Premier League, and also because of his personality. Look at Klopp’s embraces with Alexander-Arnold, Salah, all his players post-match. Klopp’s more than a manager to them, he’s a mentor. The one-on-one chats, the words of support if a player suffers some heartache away from the game, bonds them even closer to him. And Klopp improves players. Harvey Elliott, good when arrived from Fulham, is even better now: more belief, more creativity and consistency. It helps that Liverpool’s recruitment department targets good characters, perhaps with a point to prove, so they respond to Klopp’s good coaching and man-management. He also makes them accountable, gives them responsibility – and total support if they occasionally slip. He’s got their back.

7, Work ethic. Klopp works so hard. Of course, all managers do, first into training, last out etc. Klopp embodies that. It might be one of the reasons why he’s stepping away. Wolves on Sunday will be his 491^st in charge of Liverpool (and 1,080^th of his career). Multiply that by days of preparation and debriefing. Year after year. Klopp’s given so much to Liverpool.

8, Klopp took the fight to Manchester City. He won the title against Pep Guardiola’s formidable side, one of the greatest teams in English history. The Premier League should be grateful for Klopp for stopping, or at least pausing, the procession. He really pushed the genius that is Guardiola.

9, Style. Klopp teams entertain. They’re not better than the Liverpool of 77-84, which mixed steel and silk and so much silverware. Or the free-flowing champions of 87-88, John Barnes and co. Beware recency bias. But Klopp’s Liverpool are undeniably special, a joy to watch. They’re prolific, exciting, inviting fans on a breathless adventure. Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson powering down the wing, crossing, assisting, scoring. Salah’s elegant amassing of goals. Mac Allister’s passing, Van Dijk’s commanding defending and Alisson saving and then striding up for a corner against West Brom in 2021 and “the goalkeeper is the goalscorer!”

9, Impact on the English game. Klopp’s legacy is not just at Liverpool. It’s broader. It’s partly tactical; young coaches analyse his style, try to learn from him. It’s his personality, too. All Klopp’s strengths, the man-management, the bond with fans, are also scrutinised by those retiring from playing and stepping into management via coaching courses. Klopp also talks a lot of sense about the game, especially overplaying, which the authorities should listen to. Yes, Klopp sets a bad example when moaning at refs. He can be undignified when he loses it, and occasionally churlish in post-match interviews. But overall he represents Liverpool well. He represents the game well. People admire his passion.

10, Finally, Klopp’s fun. Like pretending to fall off the open-top bus in that 2019 parade. He wasn’t drunk, he was just having fun, engaging with the crowd. He’s brought trophies to Liverpool, brought good football, brought so many memories, the triumphant finals, that astonishing overwhelming of Barcelona at home, those high-scoring wins over Manchester United. He’s brought warmth and he brought fun. Klopp completely deserves the incredible send-off from Anfield on Sunday, a day of tears and cheers. And good luck with wherever life next takes Jurgen Klopp, one of life’s great characters. Auf Wiedersehen.