It was an emotional day as Jurgen Klopp bid farewell to Liverpool to mark the end of an era following their 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.
The game was mainly a sideshow as fans honoured the German they have taken to their hearts, but Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah scored the goals.
The captivating 56-year-old has developed a close relationship with the Anfield supporters, who enthusiastically welcomed him as he came from the renowned tunnel. He announced in January that he was quitting the club.
Huge mosaics of “Jurgen” and “Danke” were made by the supporters using cards, and many of them were clutching scarves with Klopp’s name above them as the team sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” a club song, with great enthusiasm.
After full-time he returned to the pitch through a guard of honour from the players to address the crowd wearing a red top bearing the words “Thank You” on the front and “I’ll Never Walk Alone Again” on the back.
Fans chanted Klopp’s name as he was greeted onto the pitch by the club’s owners, directors and ambassadors, including legendary Anfield player Kenny Dalglish, on a platform in the middle of the pitch.
“It doesn’t feel like an end,” said Klopp, who arrived at Anfield in 2015 with the club at a low ebb.
“It just feels like a start. Today I saw a football team play full of talent, youth, creativity, desire, greed. That’s one part of development, that’s what you need, obviously.
“People say I turned them from doubters into believers. That’s not true. You did it. Nobody tells you to stop believing. This club is in a better moment than for a long time.
“We have this wonderful stadium, training centre and you — the superpower of world football. Wow.”
Klopp added: “We decide if we are worried or excited. We decide if we believe. We decide if we trust or don’t trust. Today I am one of you and I keep believing. I stay believing 100 percent.
“Obviously I saw a lot of people crying and I will tonight too because I will miss people but change is good. Everything will be fine because the basics are 100 percent there.
“You welcome the new manager (Arne Slot) like you welcomed me. You go all in from the first day. You keep believing. You push the team. I’m one of you now. I love you to bits.
“Thank you. You are the best team in the world. Thank you.”
The crowd was subsequently led in chanting “Arne Slot, na, na, na, na” by Klopp, who also took up the song that Liverpool supporters had composed for him.
For the sixth time in club history, the German led the team to Champions League victory in 2019.
He cemented his legacy as a Liverpool great the next season, as his team won their first Premier League title in thirty years, marking their 19th English championship.
During his tenure, he also won two League Cups and the FA Cup.
Liverpool was aiming for a quadruple when Klopp abruptly announced his departure earlier in the year.
They defeated Chelsea in the League Cup final in February, but they lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup and Atalanta in the Europa League.
Although their attempt to win the Premier League similarly failed quickly, Liverpool’s third-place performance allowed them to qualify for the Champions League the next season.
The manager of Premier League champion Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, gave a heartfelt tribute to his longtime rival, adding that Klopp should be considered among the great Liverpool managers, like Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.
“He has been a huge competitor in my life,” Guardiola said after guiding City to an unprecedented fourth straight English title.
“It’s not just about titles won and who won the most. There are personalities that when they arrive in one place they stay forever and Jurgen will depart in the level of Shankly, Paisley, these incredible legends.”
Photo by Backpagepix
