Bring the Noise_The Jürgen Klopp Story
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The 39-year-old was able to do just that, as part of a group of recent LFC retirees drafted in to feature in Liverpool’s post-season friendly away to Sydney FC in late May. ‘We were winning 2-0 just before half-time, and we should have had a penalty. It had been a very long flight and I’m thinking, this is a friendly, let’s just play and get home. At the break, Jürgen was absolutely killing the referee for not giving the pen though. I thought I was very, very competitive, but he was something else. That’s what you need.’
There are supporters who suspect that Klopp’s winning mentality is not all that’s needed if Liverpool are to catch up with Manchester United, Arsenal and the petrodollar-funded Chelsea and Manchester City. Only a significant cash injection by new investors with deeper pockets than the relatively prudent Fenway Sports Group, they believe, can re-establish Liverpool as the dominant force in the English top flight. In March 2016 and again in August of the same year, news of Chinese conglomerate SinoFortone offering hundreds of millions of pounds for a stake in the club was greeted with feverish anticipation on Merseyside. But FSG have not sold. Klopp’s circumspect view on a possible change of ownership might have partially informed their stance. When the link with China hit the headlines Klopp told the Americans explicitly that it was they who had his trust.
‘We chose Jürgen as manager, but we’re very conscious of the fact that this was a mutual decision, that he chose us, likewise,’ Gordon says. ‘I don’t want to use the word “legitimacy”, but his decision has validated everything that those of us that have been working on the football side of the club have been seeking to achieve. He has changed the atmosphere around the club, the environment, the ethos for the place and the project is in a far more positive place. That has given hope to our supporters. I don’t want to be too dramatic here but it really is true. They see what we all want to achieve as a football club. I thought we were building towards that before his arrival, but there is no doubt whatsoever that it is achievable now that he is here. That hope permeates our supporters, it permeates the atmosphere during games, it permeates almost every aspect of the football side of the club. Can you tell that I like him?’ Gordon adds that there was ‘a relentless tendency to try and get his time and involvement and engagement in things beyond the core of his responsibilities as the manager of our club’, and that Liverpool had to actively ‘resist the temptation’ to seek his input, for fear of spreading him too thinly.
Back in Germany, friends and former colleagues are not in the least bit surprised that the Klopp effect has started to take hold across the channel. ‘I told Jürgen when he left us that Liverpool were the only club that suited him, in terms of the history and the emotions,’ says Borussia Dortmund team manager Fritz Lünschermann. ‘Like Dortmund, they’re a blue collar club that used to be successful and has been less successful in recent years. Jürgen will take them back to the top, I’m sure. They’re as crazy about football there as we are. He will awaken their passion.’ Ansgar Brinkmann, too, predicts rising temperatures on Merseyside: ‘Jürgen is capable of setting fire to a city.’
Maybe to a whole country, too? Klopp has told Martin Quast that he’d be ‘incredibly happy’ if he only coached three clubs in his career–Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool. That would leave taking on the German national team as his next and possibly last move–in football, anyway. Quast: ‘He’s a born entertainer and can get people to rally around him. After Donald Trump, I’m more convinced than ever: if he wanted to run for German president, he would get elected. He would bring people together, lead the way, make people happy. He’s not a statesman, not yet, anyway. But young people would take him, 100 per cent. Schalke fans excepted, perhaps.’ (In Germany, the president is elected by members of parliament and representatives of the federal states. The role is largely ceremonial.)
Many in the proudly working-class city of Liverpool will be pleased to find that the Swabian’s convictions echo their own. ‘I wouldn’t call myself very political but I’m on the left, of course. More left than the middle,’ Klopp told taz in 2009. ‘I believe in the welfare state, I don’t mind paying for health insurance. I’m not privately insured, I would never vote for a party because they promised to lower the top tax rate. My political understanding is this: if I’m doing well, I want others to do well, too. If there’s something I’ll never do in my life it’s voting for the right.’
Klopp’s religious belief has instructed him to see one’s time as a chance–and a duty–to help others. ‘I’d say our mission is to make our own tiny piece of land a little more beautiful,’ he said to Westdeutsche Zeitung in 2007. In a Stern interview a year later, he suggested life was ‘about leaving better places behind. About not taking yourself too seriously. About giving your all. About loving and being loved.’
The Kop has been too starved of shiny things of late to settle for pure romance, however. Deep and lasting love will only take hold on Merseyside if Jürgen Klopp can satisfy more material aspirations. ‘It will be very difficult to win the league, it’s much more competitive now than when I played. But that’s what he’s here for, that’s what he’s paid for,’ says Jamie Carragher. ‘I would never call him a failure if he didn’t–Rafael Benítez and Gérard Houllier certainly weren’t failures. They won trophies. But if he were to win the league, he’d surpass them. He’d be an absolute god. An absolute god. They would put up statutes of him.’
He’s not yet a hero, but Liverpudlians have already accepted him as one of their own, Carragher adds. ‘They see him walking his dog in Formby and having a meal in the local pub, he reminds them of themselves. Liverpool is very down to earth. You remember who you are, you remember where you come from. He doesn’t blow his own trumpet, he gets on with the job, he’s passionate about football. I know he’s from the Black Forest. But to me, he’s a typical Scouser.’
Norbert and Jürgen Klopp on a trip to Bad Kreuznach in 1975.
Have ‘Abitur’, will travel: on a post-graduation trip through Southern Europe.
‘Klopple’ (fourth from right) lining up for TSV Glatten.
Four generations of Klopps: father Norbert, son Marc, Jürgen and Opa Karl.
Playing for his second club, TuS Ergenzingen (centre-right).
A move to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt failed to work out. Klopp (bottom left) hardly played for the ‘Eagles’.
Klopp and TuS Ergenzingen came second in a hat-trick competition and received an award from Germany legend Uwe Seeler.
Mainz 05 coach Wolfgang Frank was a football revolutionary and Jürgen Klopp’s most important mentor.
Alongside sporting director Christian Heidel, Klopp took ‘Carnival club’ FSV Mainz 05 to the Bundesliga for the first time in their history in dramatic fashion.
Klopp crying at his farewell from Mainz.
A 5-2 triumph over FC Bayern in the DFB Pokal final marked Klopp’s high point with the Black and Yellows. A year later, Dortmund narrowly missed out on a Champions League win against their German rivals at Wembley.
With former Eintracht teammate Sven Müller at Anfield, and talking tactics with his trusted coaching staff Zeljko Buvac (centre) and Peter Krawietz at Melwood.
Return to the Yellow Wall: Klopp came up against Dortmund in the Europa League in 2016 and beat Thomas Tuchel’s men in spectacular fashion.
A last-minute goal by Adam Lallana saw Liverpool beat Norwich City 5-4 in January 2016. Klopp broke his glasses celebrating with his players.
Klopp-Apocalypse now: the LFC manager going wild at the Anfield touchline.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This version of the Jürgen Klopp story owes everything to the memories, observations and anecdotes generously shared by family members, close friends and football collaborators past and present. I’m immensely grateful for the time and thoughts of Isolde Reich, Benjamin and Sebastian Frank, Peter Krawietz, Christian Heidel, Harald Strutz, Jan Doehling, Mike Gordon, Hans-Joachim ‘Aki’ Watzke, Martin Quast, Josef Schneck, Fritz Lünschermann, Sven Müller, Ilkay
Gündogan, Neven Subotić, Sven ‘Manni’ Bender, Mats Hummels, Sebastian Kehl, Dietrich Weise, Matthias Sammer, Matthias Dersch, Freddie Röckenhaus, Sandro Schwarz, Jürgen Kramny, Ansgar Brinkmann, Guido Schäfer, Ramon Berndroth, Hermann Bauer, Hermann Hummels, Ulrich Rath, Hartmut ‘Hardy’ Rath, Dragoslav ‘Stepi’ Stepanović´, Adam Lallana, Thomas Berthold, Michael Theis, Marcel Reif, Jonathan Northcroft, Dominic King, Simon Hughes, Axel Schubert, Norbert Neuhaus, Jamie Carragher, Steve McManaman, Horst Dietz, Frank Kontny, Bernd Hoffmann and Reinhard Mongiatti.
Thank you Hannes Winzer, Thorsten ‘Toto’ Wirth, Ronald ‘Ronny’ Reng, Matthias Schneider, Dr. Michael Becker, Sascha Fligge, Daniel Stolpe, Frieder Gamm, Ilhan Gündogan, Jörg Krause, Martin Hägele, Jörg Vorländer and Matt McCann for your extremely kind help and advice.
Without the tireless effort and stupendous resourcefulness of Oliver Trust, large chunks of this book simply would not have been there. Thank you so much.
Thank you Tim Broughton and Frances Jessop at Yellow Jersey Press for your belief, support and patience. And for your patience. And also for your patience.
Philip Röber: Cheers, mate.
David Luxton, Rebecca Winfield and Nick Walters at David Luxton Associates for looking after me and this book.
Talking of family… Elinor, Mia, Ayalah and Naomi: I love you very much. Thank you for putting up with me.
Raphael Honigstein is the author of Das Reboot and the top expert on German soccer. He is a columnist for the Guardian and ESPN, writes for Suddeutsche Zeitung and Sport 1 in Germany, and appears as a pundit for BT Sport and ESPN, as well as Sky Sports in Germany. He is also a regular fixture on the Guardian’s award-winning podcast Football Weekly.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Norbert and Jürgen Klopp in Bad Kreuznach; Klopp playing for TSV Glatten; Klopp, Harmut Rath and friends on a post-Abitur trip (all Hartmut and Ulrich Rath)
2. Four generations of Klopps (Isolde Reich); TuS Ergenzingen team photo (Wolfgang Baur)
3. Eintracht Frankfurt team photo (Sven Müller); Klopp and Uwe Seeler (Wolfgang Baur); Wolfgang Frank (Imago)
4. Celebrating Mainz 05’s promotion to the Bundesliga (Getty); beer poured over Klopp after Mainz draw with Bayern Munich (Getty); Klopp and Christian Heidel (Imago); Klopp saying farewell at the Bruchwegstadion (Imago)
5. Celebrating Borussia Dortmund winning the Bundesliga (Getty); celebrating winning the DFB Pokal and the double (Imago); at Wembley for the Champions League final (Getty)
6. Klopp and Sven Müller at Anfield (Sven Müller); ‘The Normal One’ (Sven Müller); training at Melwood with Peter Krawietz and Zeljko Buvac (Getty)
7. Klopp’s return to the Yellow Wall in the UEFA Cup (Imago); whipping up the crowd in the return leg at Anfield with Thomas Tuchel looking on (Press Association)
8. Klopp shouting during the return leg at Anfield; celebrating Adam Lallana’s goal against Norwich and losing his glasses; celebrating the win against Borussia Dortmund (all Getty)
INDEX
Aarau, FC, 48–9
Abel, Mathias, 180
Abendblatt, 37
Abitur, 42, 43, 122
Africa Cup of Nations, 230
Ahlen, Rot-Weiss (LR Ahlen), 93, 148, 156
al-Ahli Saudi FC, 6
al-Ahly Egypt SC, 127
Ajax, AFC, 54, 217
alcohol, 125, 138–9
Alemanni, 1
Alemannia Aachen, 160, 262–3
Alexander-Arnold, Trent, 231
Ali, Muhammad, 35, 207
Alkmaar, AZ, 54
Allgemeine Zeitung, 64, 66
Allianz Arena, Munich, 22, 198
Alten Försterei Stadium, Berlin, 154
Andalusia, Spain, 14
Andersen, Jørn, 264
Andreasen, Leon, 184, 254
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, 108, 110, 114, 224
ARD, 6, 244
Argentina, 92, 122, 190
Armenia, 172
Arminia Bielefeld, 153, 164, 165, 170
Armstrong, Lance, 44
Arsenal FC, 24, 110, 203, 221, 223, 224, 271, 294
Ash Wednesday, 6, 12
Asmussen, Fips, 42
Aston Villa FC, 104, 234
Athletic Bilbao, 210
Aubameyang, Pierre-Emerick, 267, 276
Auer, Benjamin, 170, 175, 180
Aufbruchsstimmung, 88
Aufholjagd, 284
Augsburg, FC, 181–2, 284
Augustin, Dieter, 54
Auschwitz concentration camp, 120
Austria Wien, FK, 63, 64, 70
Autobahn football, 81
autogenic training, 65
Ayre, Ian, 25
Azaouagh, Mimoun, 179
Azteca stadium, Mexico City, 122
Babatz, Christof, 147
back four, 7, 16, 52–8, 63–5, 70–1, 72, 83, 153
back pain, 142
Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, 6, 8–10
Bad Ragaz, Austria, 72
Bad Vilbel, Hesse, 239
Balitsch, Hanno, 170
Ballplatzcafé, Mainz, 162
Balotelli, Mario, 212
Bangoura, Daoud, 51
Barcelona, FC, 80, 216–17, 222–3
Barrios, Lucas, 92–3, 94, 97, 209
Barthel, Maik, 217
Basel, FC, 92, 210
basketball, 28
Basler, Mario, 86
Bauer, Hermann, 120
Baur, Walter, 118–22
Bayer 04 Leverkusen, 18–19, 63, 82, 84, 157, 187, 191, 195, 196, 199, 283
Bayern Munich, FC, 26, 85, 94
back four, 52–3
Borussia Dortmund, rivalry with, 15, 17, 19, 22
Bundesliga titles, 55, 211, 273
Guardiola’s management (2013–16), 215–16, 266–8, 272–5, 277, 287, 289
Heynckes’ management (2011–13), 205, 206–11, 214, 217–19
Hitzfeld’s management (1998–2004; 2007–8), 48, 68–9, 257
Hummels’ loan deal (2009), 93
Klinsmann’s management (2008–9), 83, 257–8
Magath’s management (2004–7), 80, 170, 171, 178–9, 183, 185, 255
Sammer’s sporting direction (2012–16), 210, 214, 266–7
van Gaal’s management (2009–11), 97, 191, 195, 198–9, 200
Beatles, The, 261
Beckenbauer, Franz, 33, 52, 238, 243, 245, 246, 248
Becker, Boris, 39, 207
Beiersdorfer, Dietmar ‘Didi’, 259–61
Bein, Uwe, 130, 240
Belgium, 6, 70, 104, 111
Bender, Sven, 93, 96, 116, 187–8, 191–2, 199–200, 203, 285
Benítez, Rafael, 182, 297
Benteke, Christian, 104
Berlin, Germany, 153–5, 156
Berliner Zeitung, 95, 164
Berndroth, Ramon, 128, 129
Berne, Switzerland, 32, 49
Berthold, Thomas, 121–2
Biermann, Christoph, 214, 220, 248
Bild, 82, 86, 153, 190, 214, 215, 261
Black Forest, Germany, 1, 79, 83, 86, 118, 121, 166
Blendax, 174
Blick, 53
BMW, 136
Bochum, VfL, 58, 153, 171, 182
Bohn, Armin, 125
Bongartz, Hans, 52
Borussia Dortmund, 14–26, 46, 49, 63, 75–98, 104–5, 187–220, 233, 266–92
budget, 94
Bundesliga titles, 187–9, 205–6
Champions League titles, 15, 48, 189
Council of Elders, 78
debt crisis (2004–2005), 15
Doll’s management (2007–8), 16, 17, 18, 80, 87
‘Drei Alfredos’, 77
Frankfurt stock exchange, flotation on (2000), 15
geil, 192
Hitzfeld’s management (1991–7), 48, 240, 285
Italian national team’s visit (2011), 200
Jagdfußball, 190
Liverpool match (2016), 111–16, 250
Marbella, tra
ining in, 90
physiotherapy, 204
pressing and Gegenpressing, 80, 84–5, 197, 211, 278, 280
Sammer’s management (2000–4), 19, 77, 92
Schalke 04, rivalry with, 85–6, 94–5, 97–8, 191, 205, 291, 296
staff days, 78
training camps, 72, 79, 96
transfer policy, 84, 87
Tuchel’s management (2015–17), 113, 115
ultras, 76, 95, 216, 290
van Marwijk’s management (2004–6), 16, 80, 177
video sessions, 80, 195, 278
VIP seats, 76–7
Westfalenstadion, 14, 17, 20, 23, 75, 97, 112, 187, 284, 289
Borussia Mönchengladbach, 58, 91, 185, 199, 210, 258, 287
Borussia Neunkirchen, 150
Bös, Klaus, 142
Bosnia, 83
Bournemouth FC, 105, 227, 234
Braun, Walter, 129
Braunschweig, Eintracht, 46, 55, 156, 157