Jurgen Klopp reflects on leading Mainz, Dortmund, Liverpool to glory

MANILA, Philippines — Ahead of Wednesday’s celebrations at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England, where Liverpool FC will be handed the Premier League trophy after their match against Chelsea regardless of the score, the club’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, reflected on having led three clubs now to glory.

In an interview granted to Philstar.com through the assistance of the club’s main sponsor, Standard Chartered, the 53-year old German manager has led the Merseyside team to four trophies in five years, including the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League, the 2019 UEFA Super Cub, and the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup. 

Shared the Liverpool manager, “My reflection on Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool — three wonderful clubs. Two red and one yellow. I have enjoyed each second in these clubs and the best thing I can say is I have a lot of friends there.”

Upon Klopp’s retirement as a play from Mainz 05, he was appointed as the German second division squad’s manager. In his fourth year with Mainz, he guided the club to promotion to the Bundesliga. 

With Borussia Dortmund, he guided the team to two Bundesliga championships from 2010-11 and 2011-12, a DFB-Pokal trophy in 2011-12, and the DFL Supercup in 2013 and 2014.

As for the Premier League trophy, Liverpool’s first domestic championship in 30 years, the manager gleefully enthused that “it’s a little bit like Christmas if you know you are getting a specific present. Even before you have it, there is still some excitement. And we are very excited about that. I have never touched a Premier League trophy before for obvious reasons, and it will be special.”

“If I would go back now just to watch the game they (Mainz and Dortmund) wouldn’t close the doors. Which is nice to know. But I wasn’t back a lot. I never watched a Dortmund game in the stadium since I left. I watched exactly one Mainz game since I left and that was in the stadium and I was on my break. That is how I see it in our time we spent. We have to create relationships and that is what it is all about. And I have wonderful relationships with people in these clubs.”

“These are very very emotional clubs all three of them,” Klopp summed up. 

“Mainz needed a little bit of a kick in the beginning. And Dortmund and Liverpool are always emotional.”