When asked how much he enjoyed the afternoon, Klopp replied: “It was fun.” “Nothing really changed. I enjoyed every second. My role today was not to say many words.
“I came here for the Foundation and it was a really special experience to meet the Liverpool and Dortmund players for the first time in a while. I don’t get to see them very often. Today was really good.”
“The crowd was hooked. It was a great pleasure to see the players play. Thiago alone was worth buying the ticket!” When the interviewer said, “See you next year, Klopp?”, he quickly replied, “Yeah,” and hinted that he would return to the dugout if the event was held again.
Klopp won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Club World Cup and two League Cups during his nine seasons at Anfield. He established himself as one of the best managers in the club’s history.
Despite a number of near misses – two Champions League final defeats, a disappointing Europa League final and two second-place finishes in the Premier League – including one in which the Reds reached 97 points but fell short of Manchester City, Klopp remains amazed at the magnitude of his achievements.
Looking back on his reign, he said, “How foolish to have such big dreams. I was positive about my future. To achieve so much in the place where I was born was a miracle.”
“You have to work hard, but you ended up coming to one of the biggest clubs in the world, the most emotional club in the world. Even looking at the empty stadium, I felt proud to have been here for nine years. This is my home and it still is. It’s ridiculous!”
