Jurgen Klopp

At 56 years old, Jurgen Klopp has this physical status:

Early life and playing career

Klopp, a traveling salesman and a former goalkeeper, grew up in the countryside near Freudenstadt, Germany, where two older sisters, Elisabeth and Norbert Klopp, a traveling salesman and a retired goalkeeper, grew up in the countryside. He began playing for local club SV Glatten and later TuS Ergenzingen as a youth player, with the next stint being a junior player on 1. During his youth, Pforzheim's then-folescent team played at three Frankfurt clubs, Eintracht Frankfurt II, Viktoria Sindlingen, and Rot-Weiss Frankfurt. Klopp was a fan of VfB Stuttgart in his youth and was introduced to football by his father. Klopp as a young boy aspired to become a doctor, but he didn't believe he "was ever smart enough for a medical career," he said to me, "I hope it works out with football, otherwise it's not looking too good for you."

Klopp did a variety of part-time jobs, including working at a local video rental store and loading heavy items onto lorries when playing as an amateur footballer. Klopp's 1988-born Klopp supervised the Frankfurt D-Juniors while attending Goethe University of Frankfurt, as well as playing for Eintracht Frankfurt non-professionals. Klopp was signed by Mainz 05 in the summer of 1990. He spent the bulk of his working life in Mainz, from 1990 to 2001, with his attitude and dedication making him a fan favorite. Klopp, a striker, started playing as a defender in 1995. Klopp also obtained a diploma in sports science at the Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany (MSc equivalent), writing his essay about walking. He retired as Mainz 05's top goal scorer, scoring 56 goals in total, including 52 league goals.

Klopp admitted that as a player he was more suited to a managerial role, saying, "I had fourth-division feet and a first-division head." Klopp said how his 19-year-old self thought, "if this is football, I'm playing completely different sport." He was world class. I wasn't even a student at the University of Iowa. Klopp's football manager's methods were closely followed by his manager's on the training front, as well as making weekly trips to Cologne to study under Erich Rutemöller to obtain his Football Coaching License.

Managerial career

In 2, he started playing for Mainz in the 2nd year. Following Eckhard Krautzun's dismissal, Klopp was appointed as the club's manager on February 27, 2001. Klopp took charge of their first match on Tuesday, seeing Mainz 05 win by 1–0 over MSV Duisburg. Klopp went on to win six out of his first seven games as boss, ending up in 14th place and avoiding relegation with a game to spare. Klopp's first full season as president in 2001-02 led Mainz to finish fourth in the league as he implemented his favorite pressing and counter-pressing methods, barely missing promotion. On the final day of goal difference, the mainz finished 4th in 2002–03 and was refused promotion again. Klopp led Mainz to a third-place finish in the 2003–04 season, securing promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history.

Despite having the lowest budget and the smallest stadium in the league, the Mainz finished 11th in their first top-flight season, 2004-05. Klopp's side finished 11th overall in 2005–06, as well as securing qualification for the 2005–06 UEFA Cup, but they were disqualified in the first round by eventual champions Sevilla. During the 2006–07 season, Mainz 05 were relegated, but Klopp chose to stay with the club. Klopp resigned at the end of the 2007-08 season, but he was unable to make it to promotion next year. He finished with 109 victories, 78 draws, and 83 losses.

Klopp was approached in May 2008 to become Borussia Dortmund's new manager. Despite being keen on Bayern Munich's success, Klopp agreed to a two-year deal at the club, which had finished in a disappointing 13th position under previous manager Thomas Doll. Klopp's debut as boss was on August 9, DFB-Pokal win over Rot-Weiss Essen. Klopp gained his first trophy with the club in his first season after beating German champions Bayern Munich to win the 2008 German Supercup. In his first season as manager, he led the team to a sixth-place finish. Despite having one of the youngest squads in the league, Klopp secured European football as he led Dortmund to a fifth-place finish.

Klopp's Dortmund side secured top position in the Bundesliga for Christmas after losing 2–0 to Bayer Leverkusen on the first day of the 2010-11 Bundesliga. They clinched the 2010–11 Bundesliga championship, their seventh league crown, with two games to spare against 1. At home, FC Nürnberg is 2–0 down. Klopp's side was the youngest to win the Bundesliga ever. Klopp and his crew won the 2011–12 Bundesliga, winning the title for the third time. Their 81 points in total points in Bundesliga history stood out, and they had 47 points in the second half of the season, setting a new record. Bayern Munich's 25 league victories tied for the first time in a single German top-flight season, while Bayern Munich's 28-league match unbeaten run was the best ever recorded in a single German top-flight season. Dortmund lost the 2011 DFL-Supercup against Schalke 04. Klopp won the 2012 DFB-Pokal Final by beating Bayern Munich 5–2 for the club's first domestic double, which he described as "better than [he] could have imagined" on May 12th, 2012.

Dortmund's league results in the 2012-2013 season were not as good as in the previous year, with Klopp stating that his team would concentrate on the UEFA Champions League to make up for their poor play in the previous season. In the competition's group of death, Klopp's squad was drawn against Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Ajax. Nevertheless, they did not lose a game, despite some outstanding results. Dortmund defeated Real Madrid defiain once more, this time in the semi-finals. Dortmund barely advanced to the final after an excellent showing against them at home in the first leg, a 4–1 victory, but a 2–0 loss. Dortmund's main playmaker Mario Götze was moving to Bayern Munich on July 1 after they had triggered Götze's release clause of €37 million, according to his report on April 23rd. Klopp expressed his indignation at the timing of Götze's departure, as it was only 36 hours before Dortmund's Champions League semi-finals with Real Madrid. "He is a Pep Guardiola favorite," Dortmund coach Sebastian Klopp said later that he had no chance of persuading Götze to stay with Dortmund. Dortmund lost by 1-1 to Bayern on the final 2–1 with Arjen Robben's 89th minute goal. Dortmund came in second place in the Bundesliga, placing them in second place. The 2012 DFL-Supercup was also lost by the team and they were disqualified from the DFB-Pokal in the round of 16.

Klopp signed his deal until June 2018 at the start of the 2013–14 season. After being banned from a Bundesliga match against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Klopp received a fine of €10,000 on March 17, 2014. Klopp's behavior was "rude on more than one occasion," according to Deniz Aytekin, who said that his sentence was "verbal assault." Hans-Joachim Watzke, Borussia Dortmund's chairman, said, "I must protect Jürgen Klopp 100% in this case" because he had no reason for a fine and denied that Klopp insulted the fourth official. Dortmund finished second place in the 2013–14 season. Klopp's star striker Robert Lewandowski signed a pre-contract agreement with Bayern Munich at the end of the season, making him the second key player after Götze to leave the club within a year. Dortmund also won the 2013 DFL-Supercup, but eventual champions Real Madrid knocked them out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals.

Dortmund won the 2014 DFL-Supercup, kicking off the 2014 season. Klopp revealed in April that he would leave the club at the end of the season, saying, "I really think the decision is the right one." This team needs to be led by the 100% correct manager," as well as adding, "I chose this time to announce it because in the last few years some player decisions were made late and there was no time to react," referring to Götze and Lewandowski's departures in the seasons prior. He denied rumors that he was drained, saying, "I'm not that I'm ill, I've not been in touch with another club, but don't intend to take a sabbatical." "If I'd known, I would have announced it right away," Dortmund's form immediately after the news, the comedian joked. Dortmund lost 3–1 against VfL Wolfsburg in their last match in charge of the team. Dortmund finished in seventh place in the league but were kicked out of Champions League in the round of 16 by Juventus. He had a record of 178 victories, 69 draws, and 70 losses.

Klopp agreed to a three-year contract to become Liverpool manager on October 8, 2015, replacing Brendan Rodgers. According to El Paquet, Liverpool co-owner John W. Henry did not have public opinion and sought a mathematical method similar to Moneyball, the one that Henry used for the Boston Red Sox in guiding them to three World Series victories, which he also owns via Fenway Sports Group. The mathematical model was determined to be that of Cambridge physicist Ian Graham, which was used to select the manager, Klopp, and players that were required for Liverpool to win the Champions League. Klopp's first press conference said that his new club is not a normal club; it is a special club. With Mainz and Dortmund, I had two very special clubs. It's the right next step for me to be here and help" and he's planning to provide trophies within four years. Klopp dubbed himself 'The Normal One' in a parody of José Mourinho's famous 'The Special One' address in 2004 during his first conference.

On October 17, Klopp's debut was a 0–0 away draw with Tottenham Hotspur. Klopp won his first match as Liverpool boss against Bournemouth in the League Cup on October 28th, progressing to the quarterfinals. His first Premier League victory came three days later, a 3–1 away victory over Chelsea. Liverpool defeated Rubin Kazan 1–0 in Klopp's first victory in Europe as a Liverpool manager after three 1–1 draws in the first matches of the UEFA Europa League. After suffering from suspected appendicitis, he skipped a league match to have an appendectomy on February 6, 2016. Liverpool lost the League Cup Final at Wembley to Manchester City on penalties on February 28. Liverpool defeated Manchester United 3–1 on aggregate on March 17th, progressing to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Liverpool came back from a 3–1 second half deficit in the second leg of their quarter-final match against his former club Dortmund to win 4–3, advancing to the semi-finals 5–4 on aggregate on April 14. Liverpool defeated Villarreal 3–1 on aggregate in the Europa League semi-finals on May 5th, guiding the club to their first European final since 2007. Liverpool lost 1–3 against Sevilla in the final, with Daniel Sturridge scoring the first goal for Liverpool in the first half. Liverpool finished eighth in eighth place in the 2015-2016 season.

Klopp and his coaching staff signed six-year contracts to their roles in Liverpool until 2022, on July 8, 2016. Liverpool qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2014-2015, after beating 3–0 at home against Middlesbrough and finishing fourth in the 2016–17 Premier League season.

Klopp's team finished fourth in the 2017-18 Premier League, securing qualification for the Champions League for the second time in a row. Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren, alongside Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold as regular starters at fullback, formed a strong partnership at the heart of Liverpool's defense, with the Dutchman being blamed for improving Liverpool's previous defensive problems. Liverpool defeated eventual Premier League champions Manchester City 5–1 aggregate quarter-finals, Manchester City, and Roma 7–6 aggregate victory in the semi-finals, beating Roma in the Champions League final since 2007. Liverpool, on the other hand, lost in the final 3–1 to Real Madrid. This was Klopp's sixth defeat in seven major finals. Despite their attacking prowess, Klopp's team had been chastised for their stubborn number of goals lost, a feature Klopp's goal deficit had been blamed on him for the signing of defender Virgil van Dijk in January for a reported £75 million, a world record transfer fee for a defender. Klopp made a number of high-profile signings, including midfielders Naby Keta and Fabinho, forward Xherdan Shaqiri, and goalkeeper Alisson in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool began the 2018–19 season with the best league start in the club's history, winning their first six matches. Klopp was charged with misconduct after running onto the pitch during the Merseyside derby on Sunday to celebrate Divock Origi's 96th minute winning goal with goalkeeper Alisson. Liverpool beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0, bringing their Christmas Day four points to a halt in the league. Klopp's side extended their lead in the league to six points against Newcastle United on Boxing Day, as well as being the fourth Premier League team to be unbeaten at this point. Klopp's 100th victory in 181 games as Liverpool's manager. Klopp's defensive changes were quick, recording only 7 goals for the fewest goals conceded at this point in a top-flight season, conceding just 7 goals and keeping 12 clean sheets in 19 matches. Klopp's side defeated Arsenal 5-1 at Anfield on December 29, extending their undefeated home run in the league to 31 matches, beating their best match in the league. Liverpool won all eight of their matches in December, putting them nine points clear at the top of the league. Klopp was named Premier League Manager of the Month for December by Klopp. Klopp's side finished the season as runners-up to Manchester City, who lost their first league match of the season. Klopp's Liverpool won all nine games, the third-highest total in the English top-division and the most points scored by a team without winning the tournament, and the most points scored by a team without winning the trophy, and the most points scored by a team without winning the competition, despite being unbeaten at home for the second season. The club's thirty league victories tied for the most games in a season.

Klopp's Liverpool team did not win in domestic cup competitions in 2018–19. Klopp's side was eliminated in the third round of the League Cup after losing 2–1 to Chelsea, their first defeat of the season, and was knocked out of the FA Cup after losing 2–1 to Wolves in the third round. Liverpool had a historic run in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League despite a lack of success in domestic cup competitions. Klopp's side finished second in their group by virtue of goals set to qualify for the knockout phase before meeting German champions Bayern Munich in the round of 16. Liverpool qualified for the quarter-finals after a scoreless draw in the first leg and a 3–1 win in the second leg. Liverpool defeated Porto by a cumulative score of 6–1, where Klopp's Liverpool defeated tournament favorites Barcelona. Klopp reportedly begged his players to "just try" or "fail in the most beautiful way" in the second leg of the tie at Anfield after losing by 3–0 at the Nou Camp. Despite Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino being out with injuries in what was described as one of the best comebacks in Champions League history, Klopp's side overturned the deficit in the second leg, progressing to the final 4–3 on aggregate. Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 in the final of the Madrid Metropolitano Stadium, giving Klopp his first trophy with Liverpool and his sixth European Cup/Champions League title overall and the club's sixth European Cup/Champions League title overall.

Klopp's side started the 2019-20 season by playing Manchester City in the 2019 FA Community Shield, against whom they lost 5–4 on penalties. Klopp's side defeated Chelsea in the Europa League Champions League, qualifying as champions of the Champions League. Klopp's side won 5–4 on penalties, giving Klopp his second trophy with the club after extra time. It was Liverpool's fourth victory in the tournament, placing them behind Barcelona and A.C. Milan with five titles apiece. Liverpool manager Klopp's Liverpool won their first six games to jump five points ahead of the table in the 2019-20 Premier League. Klopp was named Premier League Manager of the Month for August, his fourth award of the monthly prize since the fourth match week. Liverpool defeated Chelsea 2–1 away for a club-record seven consecutive away league victories, making Liverpool the first Premier League club to win their first six games in a row. Klopp was voted Best FIFA Men's Coach for 2019 on September 23rd, ahead of Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino. Klopp revealed at the awards ceremony that he had joined the Common Goal movement, donating 1% of his income to a charity that supports organizations around the world to address social problems. Klopp had been named Manager of the Month for September, the second month in a row.

Klopp's last match against Brighton & Hove Albion was Sunday, when the club defeated Manchester City 2–1 in a 2–1 victory. A week later, his team beat Everton 5–2 for the second time. Klopp signed a deal extension that will keep him at the club until 2024 after defeating Red Bull Salzburg on December 10th, which saw Liverpool rise to the top of their Champions League group. Klopp received his third Premier League Manager of the Month award for November after winning all four league games with Liverpool. With a victory over Flamengo in the final on December 21, he lifted Liverpool's first FIFA Club World Cup trophy, making his team the first English side to win the Champions League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup. With a 1–0 home win over Wolves, his team ended 2019 as a leader. The result extended Liverpool's undefeated home run to 50 games and gave Klopp's reds a 13-point lead at the top of the table with a game-in-hand. Klopp was named the Premier League Manager of the Month for December, the fourth time this season. Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 11-0 away on January 11, 2020, the most ever at a top-five leagues, with 61 points from 21 games. Klopp's side defeated Southampton 4–0 at home on February 1st, the first point clear at the top of the Premier League in English top-flight history, and following second-place Manchester City's loss to Spurs the next day, the biggest difference ever between first and second in top-flight history. Klopp was later named as the Premier League Manager of the Month for January, his fifth of the season so far, bringing the most awards to a single season.

Klopp's side set the English top-flight record for the most consecutive victories (18) and the most consecutive home victories (32) against West Ham United on February 24, 2020; the former set by Bill Shankly's 1972 Liverpool team, breaking a record for the Premier League era. Klopp said after the game that he "never thought [Manchester City's victory record] would be broken or equalled." Liverpool defeated Bournemouth 2–1 at Anfield on March 7th, bringing a record of 22 consecutive home victories to the English top-flight. Klopp's side clinched the trophy with 7 games remaining on June, the club's first since 1989–90, and first during the Premier League era. Liverpool set a string of English-top flight records during the season, including the most consecutive home victories (23), the most significant point lead at the end of a matchweek (22), and the youngest team to clinch the Premier League at any other time by games played (with seven remaining) and later than any other team by date (being the only team to win the Premier League by date). Liverpool had a 44 match unbeaten run in the league early in the season, the second longest streak in top-flight history – until Watford was on February 29. Klopp was named LMA Manager of the Year and Premier League Manager of the Season at the end of the season.

Klopp's side lost 7–2 away to Aston Villa after winning the first three league games of the 2020–21 season against Leeds United, Chelsea, and Arsenal on October 4th. It was the first time Liverpool conceded 7 goals in a league match since 1963. However, they bounced back with victories over Sheffield United and West Ham following a turbulent draw in the first Merseyside derby of the season, in which star defender Virgil van Dijk was hospitalized for the remainder of the year. After a 5–0 victory over Atalanta, they moved to third place in the league and top of their group in the Champions League. Klopp led Liverpool to a landmark 63 games unbeaten in Anfield on Sunday, bringing the total number of 63 games under Bob Paisley to a new high. Klopp was named Best FIFA Men's Coach for the second year in a row, leading the club to their first league title win in 30 years on December 17th. Klopp received the BBC's Sports Coach of the Year award on December 20th. Liverpool was eighth in March after a poor start to 2021, when Liverpool was without three central defenders who were out injured for the remainder of the season. Liverpool continued undefeated in their last ten league games, with eight victories and two draws, with Liverpool finishing third in the league. Klopp's first victory at Old Trafford, home of arch rivals Manchester United, saw the club rely on a new defensive partnership led by Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams, both of whom had no previous participation in the Premier League, and included Klopp's first victory at Liverpool, home of arch rivals Manchester United. Liverpool defeated Liverpool 4–2. Klopp was named Premier League Manager of the Month in May, the ninth time he has been given the award.

Liverpool defeated Manchester United 5–0 at Old Trafford on October 24, 2021, beginning the 2021–22 season with five victories and three draws from the first eight league fixtures. This was Klopp's 200th victory in 331 games in charge of Liverpool, making him the club's fastest manager ever to win this milestone. Klopp coached Liverpool to a 4–1 away victory over Everton in the Premier League on December 1st as the club became the first team in English top-flight history to score at least two goals in 18 consecutive games in all competitions. Liverpool defeated A.C. Milan 2–1 at the San Siro on December 7th, becoming the first English club to win all six Champions League group games in the competition's history. Klopp's record-breaking win over Newcastle United on December 16th was the first team in English history to win in the league's first game. Liverpool manager Ed Miliband led Liverpool to their first domestic final since 2016, the 2022 EFL Cup Final, where they defeated Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea 11-10 on penalties after a 0–0 draw that went to extra time. Liverpool secured their first match since 2012 after winning the 9th berth and the first time they had won it since 2012. Klopp became the longest serving manager in the Premier League following Sean Dyche's dismissal by Burnley on April 15th. Klopp signed a two-year deal extension on April 28th, extending his stay at Liverpool until 2026. He cited his wife Ulla as one of the main reasons for signing the deal in his letter to Liverpool supporters. Liverpool defeated Chelsea in their first FA Cup since 2006, this time 6–5 on penalties, with Klopp becoming the first German manager to win the trophy. Liverpool will finish second in the Premier League before losing 1–0 to Real Madrid in the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final.

Liverpool opened the 2022 FA Community Shield with a 3–1 victory over Manchester City in what was Klopp's first FA Community Shield match on July 3022.

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