January’s unexpected announcement that Jurgen Klopp would be leaving Anfield at the end of this season took English football by surprise, and sent the red half of Merseyside into a prolonged state of mourning.
The former Mainz and Borussia Dortmund manager arrived on these shores back in October 2015, replacing Brendan Rodgers in the Liverpool dugout, and swiftly won over fans with his heavy-metal football, bear hugs and off-the-wall press conferences.
In the years since, Klopp has become one of the club’s all-time greats. From a dramatic victory over Dortmund that catapulted the Reds to a European final in his first season as their boss, to Champions League glory in 2019 and then the end to Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a league title a season later, deposing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, it has been quite the ride.
Now, those who have witnessed it all share with FourFourTwo the matches from Klopp’s tenure that they’ll forever cherish the most.
LIVERPOOL 4-3 BORUSSIA DORTMUND
APRIL 14, 2016
EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL SECOND LEG
MATT LADSON
CO-FOUNDER AND EDITOR, THIS IS ANFIELD
This was one of the first nights during Klopp’s tenure that Liverpool fans lined Anfield Road ahead of a fixture. The players posted videos from the bus on social media and later spoke about the inspiration those scenes had given them. The special bond between the fans and Klopp’s Liverpool was forged that night.
IAN RUSH
CLUB LEGEND (660 APPEARANCES)
It’s always difficult when you become the manager of Liverpool but Jurgen won people round straight away with his personality. He was so nice, so engaging, and he proved quite quickly what a brilliant tactician he was as well. Even before that match, you were thinking, ‘This is too good to be true!’
JAMIE CARRAGHER
CLUB LEGEND (737 APPEARANCES)
I was in the Main Stand with my son, just as supporters. It was a huge match not only in terms of the occasion but also because it was Dortmund, Klopp’s old club, and he’d only just joined Liverpool.
