Jurgen Klopp's highlights at Liverpool

The German immediately set about transforming a club that had fallen far from its glory days. Here are five moments that have shaped his time at the club:

2018: European renaissance

Liverpool had not won the Champions League since 2005 and expectations ran high as they beat AS Roma 7-6 on aggregate in the semi-final after a 5-2 demolition of their Italian opponents in the first leg. It signalled their return as an European power under Klopp's influence.

The final against Real Madrid ended in bitter disappointment though as Mohamed Salah had to leave the pitch injured following a controversial challenge from Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema's opener and two goals from Gareth Bale gave the Spanish side a 3-1 win.

2019: Barcelona are demolished at Anfield

A year later, Liverpool seemed down and out of the Champions League semi-final after losing 3-0 to Lionel Messi's Barcelona at the Camp Nou in the first leg. But they produced a memorable comeback at Anfield in one of the stadium's storied nights, humbling Barcelona 4-0 with two goals apiece from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum to set up a final against Premier League rivals Tottenham.

2019: Champions League glory

Tens of thousands of expectant Liverpool supporters turned Madrid red in expectation of a sixth Champions League title. Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi scored in an ultimately comfortable 2-0 win against Tottenham at the Metropolitano Stadium and Klopp led the celebrations as he lifted the trophy aloft. The increasingly influential central defender Virgil van Dijk, who Klopp signed from Southampton in 2017, was man of the match.

2020: First Premier League trophy for 30 years

Liverpool had not won the Premier League for three long decades, falling behind Arsenal, Manchester United and the newly wealthy Manchester City. In the 2019-2020 season that was interrupted by the Covid pandemic, they were peerless and swept to the title ahead of City. The players had to celebrate in an empty Anfield because of the Covid restrictions but thousands of fans defied the ban on socialising to gather outside the stadium, releasing red flares.

2022: FA Cup final win

With a quadruple of trophies in their sights, Liverpool had already won the League Cup. In a tight FA Cup final, they beat Chelsea on penalties at Wembley with the unheralded Kostas Tsimikas scoring the winning spot-kick. Klopp's hope of four trophies was quashed though as Manchester City pipped Liverpool to the Premier League title by a single point and then Real Madrid beat them 1-0 in the Champions League final in Paris.

That European showpiece was scarred by problems outside the ground where Liverpool supporters were sprayed with teargas by French police.

 

January 26, 2024