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Jurgen Klopp is the man who made the dreams of Liverpool fans come true.
After three decades of false sunrises, the German ended Liverpool’s long wait for the holy grail of a 19th league championship and returned the Reds to their famous position.
His team wrote a new chapter in the club’s illustrious European history by winning the Champions League in Madrid and even broke new ground by beating Brazilian Flamengo to become club world champion for the first time in Anfield history.
But it’s more than his ability to get Liverpool back to win that has made Reds fans so loved and revered around the world.
Klopp’s perspective on football, and life itself, is perfectly in tune with the values that define how many Liverpool people see his club and city, which has only made his achievements since he arrived at Anfield still. more satisfying.
And his personality, which has won him fans far beyond the LFC and even among some of the club’s staunch rivals, was revealed very early in his reign and proved crucial in winning over a cynicism-hardened fan base after 30. years of relative low performance.
Local author Jeff Goulding believes there are many parallels between Klopp and the last manager who had such a transformative effect on Liverpool Football Club, Bill Shankly, many of which are detailed in his latest book, Champions Under Lockdown, when he tells the story. of the Reds. ‘tumultuous 2019/20 title win.
The third volume in his Red Odyssey series, the book, which will be reprinted in the new year, manages to superbly convey the rollercoaster of emotions that Liverpool’s inhabitants went through, both throughout that seemingly endless three-decade wait for another title. league as well as during what turned out to be the longest season of many Reds’ lives, in every way.
But it’s more than just a football story, subtly illustrating at times and unashamedly at others why many of the values of Klopp and his Liverpool team are perfectly in sync with those of Shankly and the city itself, with the excerpt that we have been kindly allowed. to reproduce below, showing why this German ‘Scouse’ was so easy to assimilate:
From the moment he arrived, Klopp seemed to have the problem of taking over the club.
He was plagued with doubts and suffering from an inferiority complex. He would dedicate himself to solving those problems and when he spoke, the followers listened.
After a loss to Crystal Palace in what appears to have been a long time ago in a far distant galaxy, he rebuked those who left early, leaving him alone.
The response was instantaneous and the effect overwhelmingly positive. I can’t think of any manager in my life who could have reprimanded us and not only got away with it, but we could also agree with him.
Too often, the relationship between the supporters and the man on the bench has been one of mutual appreciation, with the boss preferring to keep the people on the terraces aside. Not so with Jurgen.
Watch him protest with the fans in the main stand, when he perceives that they are moaning too much, and you see the image of a man extremely confident in his ideas, his players and so embedded in the culture of the club that he can scold us. And we’ll just say, ‘You know what? Is right’.
We love Jurgen because he feels like a soul mate. Cross any Scouser and they will soon let you know. But the same people will walk a mile to help you get out of your need.
The boss is cut from the same cloth. Infinitely generous and fiercely committed to the cause. If you relax for even a second, he will be on his back immediately. I can’t think of anything else Scouse.
Shankly told his pupils that they were playing for the fans, that it was his job to make people happy.
Jurgen has said the same, but has always been willing to call us to help out when players needed our help. The holy trinity of players, fans and managers has never felt stronger in my life.
By winning the Premier League, Jurgen rose above the role of Liverpool manager. Their opinions were frequently requested on Brexit, Covid-19 and, of course, the question of racism in football and society. His answers would reveal a man of deep principles. He is more than a smiling cheerleader, as one comrade said at the beginning of his reign.
He spoke of being on the left, of his desire to see everyone well and of his abhorrence of social injustice and division. “We are better when we are all together,” he said, pointing to the locker room as a template for multicultural and multiracial success.
These words are the modern equivalents of Shankly’s socialism, which was about everyone working together and sharing the rewards. Yet just as Shanks had lectured on how working as a collective could bring individual rewards, Jurgen told LFCTV that while he agreed that the ‘team was the star,’ people were important and they had to understand what. they contributed to the whole.
By bringing the Reds back to the top of English, European and world football, Klopp had become not just the leader of a club, but someone who carried the hopes and dreams of most of the city. However, unlike Shanks, his sphere of influence extended across the Mersey to the entire world.
Goulding’s book, of course, is also about the disruption and anxiety that the coronavirus pandemic caused in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign.
With most of the UK now back under virtual lockdown and suggestions in recent days that Premier League action could come to a halt again, he told ECHO his thoughts on the current dilemma football is facing and how it may affect Liverpool’s chances of retaining its title.
“In the context of the new Covid variant, rising infection rates and the tragic loss of life, football is once again in a dilemma,” he said.
“The measures put in place to make Covid games safe have been in place until recently, but with the outbreaks once again affecting games, people are once again questioning whether the sport can continue.
“The hope of a mass vaccination program might make this unnecessary, but a question mark remains about how quickly it can be implemented and how soon we will see a return to normalcy. The prime minister’s promise that we will be” of back to normal by Easter, “suggests that it won’t come soon enough and that some kind of soccer circuit breaker is unavoidable.
“For Liverpool, retaining the title was always going to be a challenge. Klopp knew that the clubs would solve us, and the signings of Thiago and Jota were to add another dimension to our game.
“But a nearly non-existent preseason, injuries and a ridiculous match list (necessary for a more condensed season) have made the task that much more difficult.
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“Of course, playing without fans is also a very important factor. Liverpool, in particular, got so much energy from the fans in recent years and in my opinion the loss of that can be seen in some of our recent performances.
“I was in the Wolves game and the power of just 2000 in the Kop, and the effect it seemed to have on the players was palpable. Weighing all of that, a break in the season, giving some players time to come back from injury and others a much-needed break could actually propel the Reds to fight for another title.
“If you can vaccinate a significant number, opening up the possibility of full stadiums once again, then I could see the Jurgen guys hitting No. 20 and a May parade of mythical proportions.”
Champions Under Lockdown was published by Pitch Publishing and is available to purchase here.
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