Jürgen Klopp announced his departure from Liverpool. The reactions tell about his greatness above all outside the playing field, writes Urheilu’s Jussi Vainikka.
Jussi Vainikka sports reporter
Reminiscing about the past, analyzing heritage and a flood of superlatives. Even tears.
Friday’s surprise news was received in Liverpool with strong emotional reactions. One could have imagined that someone had died. One interviewed by the BBC a fan even said he felt that way.
However, it is only about being Liverpool’s head coach Jurgen Klopp leave the club after the current season. The German said he felt that there is no longer enough energy for work. There would have been two more years left on the contract. Such big news rarely comes as a complete surprise in modern football.
A question arises in the mind, how can the change of football coach arouse such strong emotions in people? When thinking about the question, the best answers can be found in Liverpool.
The cliche saying that football is bigger than life originates from Liverpool. That’s what he originally said Bill ShanklyLiverpool’s successful coach in the 1960s and 70s.
In England, parallels have been drawn between Shankly and Klopp. After the Klopp news, rare videos from 1974 began circulating on social media. That’s when Shankly unexpectedly announced his retirement. Liverpool’s reactions are now much the same.
Jürgen Klopp’s achievements in Liverpool purely as a coach are undeniable. He has returned the club, which had fallen asleep in the middle class, to the top ranks and won almost everything possible.
Above all, he returned Liverpool as champions of England after a 30-year hiatus in the summer of 2020. Without Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s oil million championships would be even more on the poster.
However, success is not the main root cause of Klopp’s almost saintly status in Liverpool. Although the Premier League has turned into an extremely commercial entertainment business, even the biggest football clubs in England still have a huge importance for urban communities.
In their position, head coaches have to respect the people, the supporters, who really care about the club.
That’s where Klopp is the master.
As soon as he came to Liverpool, the German started to improve the broken connection between the club and the supporters. Known for his colorful statements, Klopp said his mission was to change the club and the people around it “from doubters to believers”.
The goal was realized at the latest when Liverpool rose from three goals behind against Barcelona to the Champions League final and finally to winning the entire competition in 2019.
Klopp also understands his position outside the football bubble. For example, during the corona pandemic, he gave weighty speeches about the importance of vaccinations. Liverpool players traditionally visit local children’s hospitals at Christmas. Klopp is always involved in bringing a smile to the faces of children going through difficult things.
Hurts and always happens around Klopp. His trademark is furious vents. During the last year, he has, among other things, lost his wedding ring and torn his hamstring while celebrating goals.
When necessary, Klopp has also criticized the supporters. That’s caring too. The enduring myth of Liverpool’s Anfield stadium’s unique atmosphere is rarely true these days. It annoys Klopp, who is used to the German supporter culture. Most recently, in December, he described the atmosphere at Anfield “to feel the weakest” in the big game against Manchester United.
Interaction matters. If Klopp were a distant figure, he would not be as popular. No, even if there are more championships on the poster.
That is why he has earned his place as one of the biggest heroes of the world’s biggest football club.
And the last chapter hasn’t been written yet. Liverpool leads the Premier League by five points to Manchester City and will play against Chelsea in the League Cup final in February. The team is still participating in the FA Cup and the Europa League.