‘One in a million’ Klopp makes Liverpool a European giant again

“We are not here by any kind of magic,” said Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool’s third appearance in a Champions League final in five years. “We deserve this.”

At the Stade de France on Saturday, Real Madrid will face the Reds, exactly as they did four years ago in the first of Liverpool’s European Cup finals under their German coach.

The 3-1 loss in Kyiv that night, which came as a result of two Loris Karius goalkeeping errors after losing star man Mohamed Salah to a dislocated shoulder early in the game, could have crushed other sides.

“This was a harsh night for us,” Klopp reflected on Wednesday.

Instead, the Reds returned to the largest platform a year later to right those wrongs by defeating Tottenham in Madrid to win their sixth European Cup.

Klopp has also brought an end to Liverpool’s 30-year search for a league title in 2020.

“If I sit here in four years, I am pretty confident we will have one title,” Klopp said when he first arrived as Liverpool manager. Seven years on, they are on the verge of winning three trophies in one season — and it could have been four.

The final on Saturday will be their 63rd game of the season, with them reaching the final of every competition.

The League Cup and FA Cup have already returned to Anfield, but Manchester City held off Liverpool’s assault in the Premier League championship race on Sunday, winning it for the first time since the turn of the year.

“Without the Champions League, it would be a great season. With the Champions League it would be a fantastic season,” Klopp said.

Special man

Liverpool’s long-term success has been widely credited.

Michael Edwards, the club’s outgoing sporting director, has been praised for his near-flawless recruitment in the transfer market.

Klopp has enlisted the expertise of a number of experts, ranging from throw-in coaches to neuroscientists, to assist his players in their pursuit of marginal advantages.

But it is his combination of tactical savvy, man-management, and cult of personality that has resurrected a dormant powerhouse battling to qualify for the Champions League into a European superpower.

“The players deserve unbelievable credit, but it is all down to that man. Liverpool have a very, very special man at the top of their club,” said former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.

“What he has created right through this club is the standard that he expects, that spirit, that mentality. He is just an absolute revelation.”

As Liverpool has won six major awards under Klopp’s tenure.

That total would have been much higher if he hadn’t been competing against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, which is funded by Abu Dhabi’s state money.

In the last four years, Liverpool has achieved three of the best nine-point totals in Premier League history for the reward of just one title, as City has twice edged them by a single point.

Due to Liverpool’s limited finances, Klopp has had to extract every ounce of effort from his players just to keep up.

“After the Champions League final (in Madrid), I said it wouldn’t be possible to win it without the manager,” said Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.

“I felt from day one he came in the door he changed everything and we have all followed him.”

Luckily for the Liverpool support, there is much more to come.

Against prior expectations, Klopp extended his contract to 2026 last month, which would take his stay at Anfield beyond a decade.

Aston Villa manager and former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has long been tipped as a possible successor.

But even he urged the Liverpool support to enjoy the ride under Klopp as long as it lasts.

“Liverpool fans should enjoy Jurgen Klopp,” said Gerrard. “I think he’s one in a million — he’s that good.”