Jürgen Klopp signs off at Liverpool with emotional Anfield win against Wolves

Jürgen Klopp dressed all in black for the final game of his unforgettable Liverpool career but the mood inside Anfield was far from funereal. It was one last celebration with the manager who made Liverpool believe again, and one last chance for Klopp to shape the future.

“I thought I would be in pieces but I’m not, I’m so happy,” he announced from the centre circle after signing off with a victory against Wolves. “For whatever reason it doesn’t feel like an end, it just feels like a start because today I saw a team full of youth, energy and desire.

“People say I turned doubters into believers. That’s not true. You did it, that’s a big difference, and nobody tells you to stop believing. This club is in the best moment for a long time with a wonderful stadium, a wonderful training centre and you – the super power of world football. We decide if we believe and since today I am now one of you – I am a believer 100%.”

Liverpool’s farewell to Klopp was carefully choreographed and protracted as Sir Kenny Dalglish, along with the principal owner, John W Henry, the chairman, Tom Werner, and the chief executive, Billy Hogan, also made presentations to Joël Matip and Thiago Alcântara, whose contracts expire this summer, plus the members of the backroom team who are exiting. But there was a moment of levity when Klopp effectively announced his successor, Arne Slot, by singing the Dutchman’s name and urging Liverpool fans to “go all in from the first day” when the ­Feyenoord coach takes over. That should be confirmed this week.

Quick Guide

Jürgen Klopp's best quotes from his Liverpool reign

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First press conference, October 2015 “I heard from my agent that Liverpool is interested and I felt immediately: ‘Oh God.' It’s like when I met my wife – I saw her and thought: 'OK, I marry her.' And it was like that with the club. It felt right from the first moment.”

On Anfield, May 2018 “If you had Wikipedia or Google and put in ‘European nights’ the answer must be: Anfield.”

After historic comeback against Barcelona, May 2019 “I said to the boys: ‘I think it’s impossible but because it’s you we have a chance.’ And we believed in this chance. I don’t know how the boys did it. These boys are fucking mentality giants – it’s unbelievable.”

After winning Champions League, June 2019 “I feel mostly relieved, to be honest. Relieved for my family because the last six times we were away on holiday and always with a silver medal and that doesn’t feel so cool."

On winning Covid-interrupted Premier League, June 2020 “It is historic now more than ever. Give us an asterisk. Yes, do it. Because it is the most difficult season ever.”

On leaving Liverpool, January 2024 “It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now. Obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.”

On 12.30pm kick-offs, May 2024 “They dare to give us Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday 12.30 – it’s a crime! I was actually waiting for Amnesty International to go to them. I would like to be part of that meeting when someone says: ‘Liverpool 12:30’ and the whole room is bursting into laughter.”

Compiled by Morgan Ofori

Photograph: Phil Noble/X01988

Then it was time for Klopp, now sporting a red hoodie that declared his love for the Kop on the front and stated on the back “I’ll never walk alone again”, to send his final ­fist-pumps to all four sides of the stadium that has been transformed on his watch. He signed off with 209 wins from 334 Premier League games – the highest percentage win ratio (62.57%) of any Liverpool mana­ger who has taken charge of more than 30 matches – seven major trophies and a rare, unbreakable bond with the Liverpool public.

The Kop sang “I’m so glad that ­Jürgen is a red” incessantly from the 87th minute to the 94th, when the final whistle sounded on the ­manager’s reign while he was busy hugging every member of his backroom staff. Anfield had earlier sung the names of players who helped to shape the Klopp era, with Roberto Firmino, Georginio Wijnaldum and Divock Origi among them. It was the soundtrack to a remarkable chapter in Liverpool’s history ending.

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Tens of thousands of fans had gathered outside the stadium to greet the team coach before kick‑off. The queues to buy a match-day programme were much longer than usual. Everyone wanted a commemo­rative piece of the occasion. Liverpool kept their professional faces on for the 491st game of Klopp’s tenure and delivered. Only briefly, when a tearful Virgil van Dijk embraced his manager after the final whistle, did any emotion really show.

The match was not the main course but, almost inevitably, the season ended with another ­reason for Gary O’Neil and Wolves to despair of VAR when Nélson Semedo was sent off for a dangerous foul on Alexis Mac ­Allister. The Portugal international was booked for going over the top of the ball and high into the Liverpool midfielder’s ankle, but the referee, Chris Kavanagh, was advised to consult the pitchside monitor by the VAR, David Coote, and upgraded Semedo’s ­punishment to red.

Wolves, who submitted the resolution calling for video assistant referees to be scrapped by the Premier League, could have few complaints in the current climate, although O’Neil tried. “This season has been completely unacceptable from an officiating point of view,” the Wolves head coach said. “It’s been terrible. They have to get better at it.”

The game was goalless at that point, with Liverpool dominating possession and Wolves threatening on the counterattack. Mac Allister was booed back on to the pitch by the away fans after receiving lengthy treatment and soon riled them further by opening the scoring. Harvey Elliott delivered a menacing cross from the right and the Argentina midfielder, ­reading the flight quicker than Santiago Bueno, steered a fine header beyond José Sá.

Liverpool’s second followed ­minutes later. Elliott was again involved, taking a corner that Cody Gakpo touched on to Mohamed Salah at the back post. Salah, unmarked, scuffed a first-time shot but the ball deflected past Sá and fell kindly for Jarell Quansah to poke home his first goal at Anfield.

Emre Can had scored the first goal of Klopp’s reign in a 1-1 draw with Rubin Kazan in the Europa League in 2015. Somehow Quansah took the honour of scoring the last. ­Mac ­Allister, Salah – making his 250th league appearance for Liverpool – and Luis Díaz missed gilt-edged chances in the second half. Wolves performed admirably with 10 men and would have reduced the arrears only for Rayan Aït-Nouri and Matheus Cunha to squander a two-v-one against ­Alisson, who saved impressively late on from a Neto free-kick.

It was appropriate that an academy product should put the seal on the final win of the Klopp era given the countless shows of faith the mana­ger has put in young talent. Klopp became the first Liverpool manager to win his final game since Matt McQueen in 1928. “I have no clue what I will do tomorrow – ­packing probably,” said a bona fide Anfield legend, who stayed out on the pitch with family, friends and players long after the crowd had left. “But tonight we’ll have a party.”