There have been many tributes to Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who announced on Friday that he will leave the Premier League club at the end of the season. Fans praised him, opponents acknowledged his achievements and the Premier League posted clips of his trademark fist pumps online. But no tribute is likely to surpass the words of Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall. He said Klopp was not only a great manager but also “a great person, a great personality and a great humanitarian”.
Aspinall was speaking on the evening Klopp was given the freedom of the city of Liverpool in 2022. With the right to herd sheep in the streets and the duty to defend the honor of the city, Klopp said he was overwhelmed by the situation at the time. “We won’t live here forever because at some point we will go back to Germany,” he said. [the key to the city]“We will take care of it, we will take it everywhere we go because it is very special.”
Relating to: Jürgen Klopp will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season
In an interview to announce his departure from the club, news that arguably shook the traditionally jaded football world, Klopp reiterated that gaining Liverpool’s freedom was “one of the most special moments of my entire life”. As the 56-year-old told fans he was “running out of energy” and unable to do his job “over and over and over again”, it was clear that a unique figure would leave the England game.
Although Klopp described himself as a “normal guy” in his first press conference, joking about the flamboyant style of “The Special One” José Mourinho, he has proven to be anything but himself during his eight-and-a-half years on Merseyside. He won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League title the following year, and has won seven major trophies in total. He revived a club that had long fallen from the top of English football. At the time of writing, he has a higher winning percentage of any Liverpool manager than Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley or Sir Kenny Dalglish. But the reason why his decision to leave Liverpool shocked so many people extends beyond football.
Klopp has risen to prominence at a time when the Premier League has become one of the most popular entertainment products in the world and boasts the best talent both on the pitch and in the manager’s bench. Maybe it’s the framework; Standing 6 feet tall and broad-shouldered, the German has the demeanor of a brown bear. Maybe it’s the perfect, shiny teeth that are the result of the expensive work of a famous dentist who also fixes his actors’ smiles. There is also exuberant touchline behavior and celebrations (coordinating fist bumps with chants of the Kop team). But ultimately, the qualities Aspinall observes are what set Klopp apart; not only was he an outstanding coach, but he was also viewed as a compassionate man who understood and expressed the values of human decency.
In 2017, two years after his arrival at Anfield and before he could fully implement his ideals on the pitch, Klopp wrote a Christmas message to Liverpool fans. He acknowledged that the club “wants more wins” but added that “in football, as in life, you can choose to be joyful and enjoy great moments and great times together.” Living and playing with intensity and with a smile was a characteristic message from Klopp. Two paragraphs later, the Germans decried the increasing need for food banks in the city. “It is incredible that this is the case in a country with such wealth and resources,” he said.
Klopp went on to speak out on a range of issues, often taking a stance that went against the grain of the time. In an interview with the Guardian, Klopp criticized the misinformation that has characterized the Brexit campaign and called for a second referendum. “Let’s think again and vote again with correct information,” he said. In 2020, Klopp publicly voiced his support for football’s embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement. Describing racial prejudice as “incredibly stupid,” he said, “It’s really hard for me even a little bit to understand how it got to this point. But that’s the way it is, we’ve got to either stand up or kneel down, we’ll do whatever we have to do.”
Klopp can be irascible, obsessive and reluctant to let go of his grievances (his long-term frustration with referee Paul Tierney led to him receiving a two-match ban last summer after questioning the referee’s integrity). In these ways he is no different to many managers and is adapting to the modern game. But Klopp’s outspokenness, energy and willingness to present himself as a person first and an elite coach second resonated with many people. Filling the void that will be created by his departure is a matter that will not only concern Liverpool Football Club.
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