Jürgen Klopp facts for kids

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Jürgen Klopp

Klopp with Liverpool at the 2019 UEFA Super Cup
Personal information
Full name	Jürgen Norbert Klopp
Date of birth	(1967-06-16) 16 June 1967 (age 58)
Place of birth	Stuttgart, West Germany
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Striker, defender
Youth career
1972–1983	SV Glatten
1983–1987	TuS Ergenzingen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1987	1. FC Pforzheim
1987–1988	Eintracht Frankfurt II
1988–1989	Viktoria Sindlingen
1989–1990	Rot-Weiss Frankfurt	0	(0)
1990–2001	Mainz 05	325	(52)
Managerial career
2001–2008	Mainz 05
2008–2015	Borussia Dortmund
2015–2024	Liverpool
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jürgen Norbert Klopp (born 16 June 1967) is a German football expert and former manager and player. He recently managed the English club Liverpool. Many people think he is one of the best football managers in the world. Since January 1, 2025, Klopp has been the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull.

Klopp played most of his career at Mainz 05. He started as a striker but later played in defence. After he stopped playing in 2001, Klopp became Mainz's manager. He helped them get promoted to the top German league, the Bundesliga, in 2004. After his team was relegated in 2007 and couldn't get promoted back, Klopp left in 2008. He was their longest-serving manager.

Next, Klopp became manager of Borussia Dortmund. He led them to win the Bundesliga title in 2011. Then, in a record-breaking season, he helped Dortmund win their first-ever domestic double (winning both the league and a main cup). Klopp also guided Dortmund to the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League final before leaving in 2015. He was also Dortmund's longest-serving manager.

Klopp became Liverpool's manager in 2015. He led the club to the UEFA Champions League finals in 2018 and 2022. They won the trophy in 2019, which was his first Champions League title and Liverpool's sixth. In the 2018–19 season, Klopp's team finished second in the 2018–19 Premier League with 97 points. This was one of the highest points totals ever for a team that didn't win the title. The next season, Klopp won the UEFA Super Cup and Liverpool's first FIFA Club World Cup. Then, he led Liverpool to their first Premier League title, scoring a club record 99 points. Because of these wins, he won the FIFA Coach of the Year award two years in a row (2019 and 2020). Klopp also won the EFL Cup and FA Cup in 2022, and another EFL Cup in 2024.

Klopp is known for a tactic called Gegenpressing. This means that when his team loses the ball, they immediately try to win it back, instead of going back to defend. He has said his teams play "heavy metal" football because of their strong pressing and attacking style. Klopp has learned a lot from coaches like Arrigo Sacchi and his former Mainz coach Wolfgang Frank. He believes that showing emotion is very important in football. He is known for his excited celebrations on the side of the pitch.

Early Life and Playing Career

Jürgen Norbert Klopp was born on June 16, 1967, in Stuttgart, Germany. His mother, Elisabeth, and father, Norbert, lived in the countryside near the Black Forest. Norbert was a traveling salesman and a former goalkeeper. Jürgen grew up with two older sisters.

He started playing football for local clubs like SV Glatten and TuS Ergenzingen when he was young. Later, he played for 1. FC Pforzheim and three clubs in Frankfurt: Eintracht Frankfurt II, Viktoria Sindlingen, and Rot-Weiss Frankfurt. Klopp's father introduced him to football, and he supported VfB Stuttgart as a child. When he was young, Klopp wanted to be a doctor, but he felt he wasn't "smart enough." His headmaster even joked that he hoped football worked out for him!

While playing football as an amateur, Klopp worked part-time jobs. He worked at a video rental store and loaded heavy items onto trucks. In 1988, while studying at Goethe University Frankfurt, he also managed the Frankfurt D-Juniors team.

In 1990, Klopp joined Mainz 05. He played most of his professional career there, from 1990 to 2001. Fans loved him because of his dedication. He started as a striker but became a defender in 1995. That same year, he earned a degree in sports science. He retired as Mainz 05's top goal scorer, with 56 goals.

Klopp felt he was better suited to be a manager than a player. He once said he had "fourth-division feet and a first-division head." He closely watched his managers and even studied to get his Football Coaching Licence.

Managerial Career

Mainz 05: From Player to Coach

In 2004, Klopp led his former club, Mainz 05, to the top German league, the Bundesliga.

After he stopped playing for Mainz 05, Klopp became the club's manager on February 27, 2001. His first game as manager was a 1–0 win against MSV Duisburg. Klopp won six of his first seven games, helping Mainz avoid relegation.

In his first full season (2001–02), Klopp guided Mainz to finish 4th in the league. He used his favorite tactics of pressing and counter-pressing. They just missed out on promotion. Mainz finished 4th again in 2002–03, missing promotion on the last day. After two close calls, Klopp finally led Mainz to finish third in the 2003–04 season. This meant they were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time ever!

Even though Mainz had the smallest budget and stadium, they finished 11th in their first top-flight season (2004–05). Klopp's team finished 11th again in 2005–06 and even qualified for the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. However, they were knocked out early by Sevilla. At the end of the 2006–07 season, Mainz 05 was relegated. Klopp decided to stay with the club. But when they couldn't get promoted the next year, Klopp resigned in 2008. He had 109 wins, 78 draws, and 83 losses as manager.

Borussia Dortmund: Winning Titles

In May 2008, Klopp became the new manager of Borussia Dortmund. He signed a two-year contract. Dortmund had finished 13th the season before, which was disappointing. Klopp's first game was a 3–1 win in the DFB-Pokal cup. In his first season, Klopp won his first trophy with Dortmund, beating Bayern Munich to win the 2008 German Supercup. He led the club to a sixth-place finish. The next season, Klopp helped Dortmund finish fifth, even though they had one of the youngest teams in the league.

Klopp at a press conference before Dortmund's title-winning 2010–11 season.

After losing their first game of the 2010–11 Bundesliga season, Klopp's Dortmund team won 14 of their next 15 matches. They were at the top of the league by Christmas. They won the 2010–11 Bundesliga title with two games left! Klopp's team was the youngest ever to win the Bundesliga.

Klopp and his team successfully defended their title, winning the 2011–12 Bundesliga. They earned 81 points that season, which was the highest total in Bundesliga history at the time. Their 28-league match unbeaten run was also a German record. On May 12, 2012, Klopp led Dortmund to win their first ever domestic double by beating Bayern Munich 5–2 in the 2012 DFB-Pokal final. He said it was "better than [he] could have imagined."

In the 2012–13 season, Dortmund focused on the UEFA Champions League. They were in a tough group with Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Ajax, but they didn't lose a game and finished first in the group. Dortmund faced Real Madrid again in the semi-finals. They won the first game 4–1 at home and, despite a 2–0 loss in the second game, they made it to the final.

Before the final, it was announced that Dortmund's key player Mario Götze was moving to rivals Bayern Munich. Klopp was annoyed by the timing of this news. Dortmund lost the final 2–1 to Bayern. Dortmund finished second in the Bundesliga that season.

Final Years at Dortmund

At the start of the 2013–14 season, Klopp extended his contract until 2018. Dortmund finished second in the league that season. Another key player, Robert Lewandowski, announced he would also leave for Bayern Munich at the end of the season. Dortmund won the 2013 DFL-Supercup but were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

Klopp left Dortmund at the end of the 2014–15 season.

Dortmund started the 2014–15 season by winning the 2014 DFL-Supercup. After a difficult start to the season, Klopp announced in April that he would leave the club at the end of the season. He said the club deserved a manager who was "100% right." He denied being tired and said he wasn't planning a break. His last game was the 2015 DFB-Pokal final, which Dortmund lost 3–1. Dortmund finished seventh in the league and were knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus. He finished his time at Dortmund with 180 wins, 69 draws, and 70 losses.

Liverpool: European and Premier League Glory

On October 8, 2015, Klopp signed a three-year deal to become Liverpool manager. He replaced Brendan Rodgers. Klopp said Liverpool was a "special club" and that he wanted to win trophies within four years. In his first press conference, he called himself 'The Normal One', making a joke about José Mourinho's famous 'The Special One' comment.

Klopp after Liverpool won against Middlesbrough on the final day of the 2016–17 season, securing fourth place in the league.

Klopp's first game was a 0–0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on October 17. His first win as Liverpool manager was against AFC Bournemouth in the League Cup. His first Premier League win came three days later, a 3–1 victory against Chelsea.

On February 28, 2016, Liverpool lost the 2016 League Cup final to Manchester City in a penalty shootout. On April 14, Liverpool made an amazing comeback in the Europa League quarter-finals against his old club, Dortmund. They were losing 3–1 in the second half but won 4–3, moving on to the semi-finals. Klopp guided Liverpool to their first European final since 2007, but they lost 3–1 to Sevilla in the final. Liverpool finished eighth in the 2015–16 season. In July 2016, Klopp and his coaching staff signed new deals until 2022. Liverpool qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2014–15 by finishing fourth in the 2016–17 Premier League season.

First Champions League Title

Klopp's team finished fourth in the 2017–18 Premier League, qualifying for the Champions League again. With new defenders like Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson, Liverpool's defence became much stronger. Klopp led Liverpool to their first Champions League final since 2007. However, they lost 3–1 to Real Madrid in the final. This was Klopp's sixth loss in seven major finals. To improve the team, Klopp signed more key players like goalkeeper Alisson and midfielders Naby Keïta and Fabinho.

Klopp led Liverpool to two UEFA Champions League finals in a row (2018 and 2019), winning the second one against Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool started the 2018–19 season with their best league start ever, winning their first six matches. Klopp was charged with misconduct for running onto the pitch to celebrate a late winning goal against Everton. Liverpool ended Christmas Day four points clear at the top of the league. A 4–0 win against Newcastle United on Boxing Day extended their lead to six points. This was Klopp's 100th win as Liverpool manager. His team also set a record for the fewest goals conceded at this point in a top-flight season, letting in only 7 goals in 19 matches. Klopp won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for December. Liverpool finished the season as runners-up to Manchester City, losing only one league game all season. They scored 97 points, the most points ever by a team that didn't win the title.

Klopp during Liverpool's Champions League victory parade.

Liverpool didn't win any domestic cups in 2018–19, being knocked out of the League Cup and FA Cup early. However, they had an amazing run in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League. After beating Bayern Munich and Porto, Klopp's Liverpool faced Barcelona in the semi-finals. They lost the first game 3–0. But in the second game at Anfield, Liverpool made one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history, winning 4–0, even without key players Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. They won 4–3 on total goals. In the final against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool won 2–0. This was Klopp's first trophy with Liverpool and his first Champions League title!

First Premier League Title

Klopp celebrating Liverpool's victory in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup.

Klopp's team started the 2019–20 season by playing Manchester City in the 2019 FA Community Shield, which they lost on penalties. As Champions League winners, Liverpool played Europa League champions Chelsea in the Super Cup. They won 5–4 on penalties after a draw, giving Klopp his second trophy with the club.

In the 2019–20 Premier League, Liverpool won their first six matches. Klopp was named Premier League Manager of the Month for August and September. On September 23, Klopp was named The Best FIFA Men's Coach for 2019. He also joined the Common Goal movement, donating 1% of his salary to charity.

On November 30, Liverpool equaled a club record of 31 league matches without defeat. They broke the record a week later. On December 10, Klopp signed a contract extension to stay at Liverpool until 2024. On December 21, he led Liverpool to their first FIFA Club World Cup trophy, beating Flamengo in the final. This made them the first English team to win the Champions League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup in one go. Klopp's team ended 2019 with a 1–0 win, extending their unbeaten home run to 50 matches. Klopp won his fourth Manager of the Month award for December.

On January 11, 2020, Liverpool's unbeaten league run reached 38 games, a club record. They had 61 points from 21 games, the most ever at that stage in Europe's top leagues. On February 1, Klopp's team won 4–0 against Southampton, giving them the biggest lead in English top-flight history. Klopp won his fifth Manager of the Month award for January, breaking the record for most wins in a single season.

On February 24, Liverpool equaled the English top-flight record for most consecutive wins (18) and most consecutive home wins (21). On March 7, they set a new record of 22 consecutive home wins. On June 25, Klopp's team won the Premier League title with 7 games left! It was the club's first league title since 1990 and their first in the Premier League era. Liverpool set many records, including the most consecutive home wins (23) and the largest point lead. They also had a 44-match unbeaten run in the league, which was the second-longest ever. Liverpool finished the season with a club record 99 points. Klopp was named LMA Manager of the Year and Premier League Manager of the Season.

Domestic and International Success

After winning their first three league games of the 2020–21 season, Klopp's team lost 7–2 to Aston Villa on October 4, 2020. This was the first time Liverpool had conceded seven goals in a league match since 1963. However, they bounced back with wins. On November 22, Klopp led Liverpool to a club record 64th consecutive league match unbeaten at Anfield. On December 17, Klopp was named the Best FIFA Men's Coach for the second year in a row. He also won the BBC's Sports Coach of the Year.

A difficult period in early 2021, due to many injuries to key defenders, saw Liverpool drop to eighth place. But the team fought back, going undefeated in their last ten league games and finishing 3rd. This included Klopp's first win at Old Trafford, the home of rivals Manchester United. Klopp won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for May, his ninth time winning it.

Klopp celebrating Liverpool winning two domestic cups in a trophy parade in 2022.

Starting the 2021–22 season well, Liverpool beat Manchester United 5–0 at Old Trafford on October 24, 2021. This was Klopp's 200th win in 331 games, making him the fastest manager in Liverpool's history to reach this milestone. On December 7, Liverpool became the first English club to win all six Champions League group games. On December 16, Klopp became the fastest Liverpool manager to reach 150 league wins.

On February 27, 2022, he led Liverpool to their first domestic final since 2016, the 2022 EFL Cup final. They beat Chelsea 11–10 on penalties after a 0–0 draw. It was Liverpool's record ninth League Cup win. On April 28, Klopp signed a new contract until 2026. In the 2022 FA Cup final on May 14, Liverpool won their first FA Cup since 2006, again beating Chelsea on penalties. Klopp became the first German manager to win the FA Cup. Liverpool finished second in the Premier League and lost 1–0 to Real Madrid in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final.

Complete Set of Trophies and Departure

On July 30, 2022, Liverpool started the 2022–23 season by winning the 2022 FA Community Shield against Manchester City. On August 27, Klopp led Liverpool to a 9–0 win over Bournemouth, which was one of the biggest wins in Premier League history. On October 12, Liverpool won 7–1 away against Rangers in the Champions League. On March 5, 2023, Liverpool had their biggest win ever against Manchester United, winning 7–0 at Anfield.

Liverpool just missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League at the end of the 2022–23 season. This was partly due to injuries and some players not being in their best form. Klopp said they would "make [the Europa League] our competition" for the next season.

On January 26, 2024, Klopp announced he would leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023–24 season. He said he was "running out of energy" and wouldn't manage another team in England besides Liverpool.

Klopp led Liverpool to victory in the 2024 EFL Cup final, beating Chelsea 1–0 to win his second League Cup.

The week before Klopp's final game was very busy with interviews and tributes. On May 17, 2024, former Liverpool players praised him. Steven Gerrard said he hoped there would be a statue of Klopp. His last match was a 2–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield. Fans held banners saying: "Doubters. Believers. Conquerors." After the game, Klopp and his coaching team received awards. Klopp wore a red jumper that said 'I'll Never Walk Alone Again' and 'Thank You Luv'. He was given replicas of all the trophies he won. In his speech, he asked fans to welcome the new manager, Arne Slot, with belief. He even started a chant for Arne Slot! The stadium was filled with tears as fans and players sang "You'll Never Walk Alone".

Klopp is no longer Liverpool's manager, but he is now an ambassador for the LFC Foundation, the club's charity. He said he would be there if the city needed him. On July 31, 2024, Klopp announced he was "done" as a coach, meaning he had retired from football coaching.

Manager Profile

Tactics: How Klopp's Teams Play

Klopp is famous for Gegenpressing. This is a tactic where the team immediately tries to win the ball back right after they lose it. Klopp believes that winning the ball back quickly can create more chances than any playmaker. He said, "The best moment to win the ball is immediately after your team just lost it." This tactic needs players to be fast, organized, and have a lot of energy. The goal is to get the ball back high up the field to stop the opponent's counter-attacks. It also needs discipline: the team must stay close together to block passes and know when to stop pressing to avoid getting too tired.

At first, some people criticized Klopp's Liverpool team for letting in too many goals, even though they scored a lot. But Klopp changed his tactics to include more possession-based football and better defence. He also brought in players like Alisson Becker and Virgil Van Dijk. These changes helped Liverpool have their best league start ever in 2018–19 and concede very few goals.

Klopp learned a lot from Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi and his former Mainz coach Wolfgang Frank. Sacchi's ideas about closing down space in defence inspired Klopp's pressing tactics. Klopp said he learned everything he is as a coach from them.

Klopp always highlights the importance of emotion in football. He believes that "emotion makes the difference" and that football is the only sport where emotion has such a big impact. He wants his players to show their feelings on the field.

In his first two full seasons at Liverpool, Klopp mostly used a 4–3–3 formation. This meant he had three attackers: wingers Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, and a false-9 striker, Roberto Firmino. These four players were called the 'Fab Four' because they scored most of the team's goals. Roberto Firmino, even as a striker, made many tackles, showing how Klopp wants all his players to press high up the pitch. After Philippe Coutinho left, the remaining front three continued to score many goals. In the 2018–19 season, Klopp sometimes used a 4–2–3–1 formation, which he had used at Dortmund. This allowed him to use new players and give Firmino a more creative role. However, the 4–3–3 formation remained his main setup.

Coaching Team

Klopp worked closely with Željko Buvač as his assistant manager for 17 years, from 2001 to 2018. Buvač was known as Klopp's "brain" because of his important role in coaching. Buvač left Liverpool in 2018 for "personal reasons," but there were rumors he disagreed with Klopp about the growing influence of another coach, Pep Lijnders.

Another key member of Klopp's team is Peter Krawietz, who is currently an assistant manager at Liverpool. Krawietz has worked with Klopp since 1996, starting as a video analyst at Mainz 05. He followed Klopp to Borussia Dortmund and then to Liverpool. Krawietz is described as Klopp's "eyes," focusing on analyzing players, scouting, and set-pieces. Liverpool has confirmed that Krawietz will also leave with Klopp at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Pepijn Lijnders, known as 'Pep', is another of Klopp's assistant managers. Lijnders was already at Liverpool when Klopp arrived. He left for a short time to manage a Dutch club but rejoined Klopp's staff in 2018. Lijnders is very active in training sessions and on the touchline. Klopp calls him "a real energizer." Lijnders has also said he will leave Liverpool with Klopp to become a manager himself.

Other members of Klopp's coaching team include Vitor Matos, John Achterberg (goalkeeping coach), Jack Robinson (assistant goalkeeping coach), and former Brazilian international goalkeeper Cláudio Taffarel.

Life Outside Football

Personal Life

Klopp has been married twice. He was first married to Sabine, and they have a son named Marc (born 1988). Marc has played for several German football clubs. In 2005, Klopp married Ulla Sandrock, a social worker and children's writer. They met at a pub during an Oktoberfest celebration. Ulla has a son named Dennis from a previous marriage. In 2021, Klopp's mother, Elisabeth, passed away. He could not attend her funeral due to travel rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Klopp is good friends with fellow manager David Wagner. They met when they were playing for Mainz. Wagner was the best man at Klopp's wedding in 2005.

Klopp is a Lutheran and has spoken about how important his religious faith is to him. He said he became more religious after his father, who was Catholic, died in 1998.

Media and Other Work

Klopp at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019.

In 2005, Klopp was a regular expert on German TV, analyzing the German national team. He worked as a match analyst during the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. He won an award for "Best Sports Show" for his work. Klopp also worked with RTL during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He has appeared in documentary films about football.

Political Views

Klopp has shared his views on politics. In 2018, he said he was against Brexit, saying it "makes no sense." He considers himself to be left-wing. He believes in a system where everyone is supported. He said, "If I am doing well, I want others to do well, too."

Endorsements

Klopp is very popular, and many companies use him in their advertisements. These include Puma, Opel, and German banks. His role as a "brand ambassador" for Opel helped the carmaker increase sales. He is also an ambassador for a German anti-racism campaign called "Respekt! Kein Platz für Rassismus" ("Respect! No room for racism"). In 2019, he became an ambassador for Erdinger, a German brewery. In 2020, he signed a deal with Adidas and appeared in an ad for Snickers in 2021. In October 2024, Trivago chose Klopp as the face of their new global marketing campaign.

Post-Managerial Career

In October 2024, Klopp joined Red Bull as their new Head of Global Football. He started this role on January 1, 2025. His contract reportedly allows him to leave if he wants to become the manager of the German national team. Some fans and journalists in Germany have criticized this move because Red Bull uses a "multi-club model," which Klopp has spoken against in the past.

On October 1, 2024, Klopp received the Federal Order of Merit from the German President. This award recognized his contributions to democracy and his impact on football and beyond.

Career Statistics

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

Mainz 05

• Promoted to Bundesliga: 2003–04

Borussia Dortmund

• Bundesliga: 2010–11, 2011–12
• DFB-Pokal: 2011–12
• DFL-Supercup: 2013, 2014
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2012–13

Liverpool

• Premier League: 2019–20
• FA Cup: 2021–22
• Football League Cup/EFL Cup: 2021–22, 2023–24
• FA Community Shield: 2022
• UEFA Champions League: 2018–19
• UEFA Super Cup: 2019
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2019
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2015–16

Individual Awards

• German Football Manager of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2019
• Deutscher Fernsehpreis: 2006, 2010 (for TV work)
• The Best FIFA Men's Coach: 2019, 2020
• World Soccer Awards World Manager of the Year: 2019
• LMA Manager of the Year: 2019–20, 2021–22
• Premier League Manager of the Season: 2019–20, 2021–22
• Premier League Manager of the Month: September 2016, December 2018, March 2019, August 2019, September 2019, November 2019, December 2019, January 2020, May 2021, January 2024
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award: 2020
• Freedom of the City of Liverpool: 2022
• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany: 2024

See also

In Spanish: Jürgen Klopp para niños

• List of English football championship-winning managers
• List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers
• List of UEFA Super Cup winning managers
• List of FIFA Club World Cup winning managers
• List of DFB-Pokal winning managers
• List of FA Cup winning managers