MOST PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGER OF THE MONTH AWARDS

 

LORD ALAN SUGAR URGES TOTTENHAM TO BRING JÜRGEN KLOPP AS NEW MANAGER WITH THOMAS FRANK FACING WIDESPREAD SACK CALLS AFTER NOTTINGHAM FOREST MAULING

GOAL/Getty

Former Tottenham chairman Lord Alan Sugar has urged the club to bring in Jurgen Klopp as their new manager amid widespread calls for Thomas Frank's sacking after Sunday's humiliating 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Spurs suffered their third loss in their last five league matches at the City Ground as they dropped to 11th place in the Premier League table.

Getty Images Sport

Fans call for Frank's sacking

Callum Hudson-Odoi bagged a brace and Ibrahim Sangare also got on the scoresheet to wrap up a thumping 3-0 win for Nottingham Forest.

Following yet another shambolic performance at the City Ground, frustrated Spurs fans have called on the club to sack Frank. The defeat leaves the north London side in the bottom half of the table, with supporters angry after yet another sub-par display. 

Getty

Former owner wants Klopp to rescue Spurs

Lord Alan Sugar, who was a part-owner at Spurs from 1991 to 2001, has urged the English side to hire legendary former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to replace Frank in the new year.

On X, the former Spurs chief wrote: "With the massive fortune of the Lewis family it would be a win-win situation if they hired Jurgen Klopp in January. “Loads of money for players and a great manager. Who agrees #coys."

 - Ritabrata Banerjee

SLOT'S LIVERPOOL SETS 132-YEAR CLUB RECORD WITH WIN

Liverpool's relentless start to the season under new manager Arne Slot is seeing the team pump out record after record, and the scene of their latest win felt poignant.

Liverpool ground out a 1-0 victory in the Champions League on Wednesday at RB Leipzig, one of the clubs that former manager Jurgen Klopp, who recently left the Reds after nearly nine years as its popular manager, will soon be overseeing in his new role as head of global soccer at Red Bull.

Few can have imagined that Slot would escape Klopp's shadow at Liverpool this quickly.

After all, Liverpool has now won the opening six away games of a season for the first time in the club's 132-year history and Slot is the first manager to win as many as 11 of his first 12 games in charge across all competitions in English top-flight history.

The Dutchman has already guided Liverpool to the top of the Premier League eight games into the season. Now, a third straight win in the Champions League has left Liverpool as one of only two teams -- along with Aston Villa -- on a maximum nine points so far.

"So many great teams have worn this shirt, so many great managers have been at this club," Slot said. "So if you can achieve something that hasn't been achieved before, it is almost impossible at a big club like this. To achieve it is always nice.

"Records are nice, but there is something else that is more nice than records and we both know what I mean, I think, that's trophies."

No wonder Liverpool's traveling contingent applauded Slot as he walked toward them after the final whistle on Wednesday.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot congratulates Alexis Mac Allister after their Champions League win over Leipzig. Getty Images

"He just has to keep going, keep improving us, keep showing what he wants from us, and have fun with it -- and I think we are showing that on the pitch," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said. "But the season is so long. We'll stay humble and keep going."

Darwin Núñez scored the only goal of the game in the 27th minute, with Liverpool needing two smart saves from back-up goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher -- filling in for the injured Alisson Becker -- to preserve the win.

"If we had left this place with a draw, I would have really felt we had lost something," Slot said. "For the 70 previous minutes, except maybe for the first 10, we dominated."

Mohamed Salah was spared the last 30 minutes in Leipzig as he was substituted and while the Egyptian looked aghast at going off, even that decision worked out well for Slot.

"We have some injuries now so I have to take good care of the players that have played a lot and Mo is one of them and on Sunday, a big game is coming up again," Slot said ahead of their weekend match against Arsenal.

"So, I need to use as many players as I can use for these next tough weeks and these tough months that are coming up, so that they are all prepared to play."

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.

- 

'TOGETHER WE CAN DISCOVER WHAT IS POSSIBLE': JURGEN KLOPP TAKES NEW JOB

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will take up the role at Red Bull in January

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he “could not be more excited” after he was appointed Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull’s multi-club network.

Klopp, who left Liverpool in the summer after nine glorious years at the club, will start in January at the group, where he will oversee teams including RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.

“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” he said.

“The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not. 

“By joining Red Bull at a global level, I want to develop, improve and support the incredible football talent that we have at our disposal. 

“There are many ways that we can do this front using the elite knowledge and experience that Red Bull possesses to learning from other sports and other industries. Together we can discover what is possible. 

“I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs but ultimately, I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking.”

Red Bull, bankrolled by its energy drink business, has pioneered the multi-club model that has since been further developed by City Football Group and others.

Besides their German and Austrian teams, they also own New York Red Bulls and two clubs in Brazil, and this year took a minority stake in Leeds United.

Red Bull clubs are known for their canny identification of young talent, player development and a high-energy playing style that shares similarities with Klopp’s favoured tactics.

While Klopp, 57, appears to have left management behind, he is reported to have a clause in his contract allowing to leave if offered the German national team job.

“We are very proud of this outstanding and certainly the strongest signing in Red Bull’s soccer history,” said Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO Corporate Projects and Investments at Red Bull.

“Jurgen Klopp is one of the greatest and most influential figures in world soccer, with extraordinary skills and charisma. 

“In his role as Head of Soccer, he will be a game changer for our involvement in international soccer and its continued development. 

“We are hoping for valuable and decisive impulses in key areas to make the clubs even better, both collectively and individually.”

- Frank Dalleres

JURGEN KLOPP HAS A NEW JOB

 

SIR ALEX FERGUSON, ARSNE WENGER & THE 25 BEST PREMIER LEAGUE MAMAGERS OF 21ST CENTURY SO FAR - RANKED

As we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, GOAL runs through the best coaches to have graced the division in the last 25 years.

To date, the 21st century has been transformative for the Premier League; the most popular division in the world, England's top flight has grown exponentially to become a commercial behemoth - powered by incredibly lucrative TV rights deals, unprecedented investment and big-money transfers that have ensured it is home to some of the best payers in the world.

And the best players need the best managers. Some of the all-time greats have graced the Premier League since the turn of the millennium, from Jose Mourinho, to Carlo Ancelotti, to Pep Guardiola.

So as we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, GOAL looks back on the greatest tactical minds to have managed in the Premier League since the year 2000. Here they are, ranked...

25. Sean Dyche

There is a sense that Sean Dyche will be the modern-day manager clubs turn to when they are in crisis, given he is seen as an expert at getting results with limited resources at his disposal.

After getting Burnley promoted, Dyche remarkably kept the Clarets in the Premier League for six long seasons as they rarely flirted with relegation and even secured European qualification with a seventh-placed finish in 2017-18. Now fighting fires at Everton, he avoided the drop in consecutive seasons despite a precarious financial situation and two points deductions.

24. Steve Bruce

Among the 10 managers to have taken charge of the most Premier League games, Steve Bruce has had a storied managerial career at the highest level of English football and takes his place on this list through sheer longevity and commitment.

Former Manchester United defender Bruce has overseen a whopping 476 matches across spells with Newcastle (84 games), Hull City (76), Sunderland (89), Wigan Athletic (62) and Birmingham City (165). He has had varying degrees of success, but you can't understate his love for the trade.

23. Martin O'Neill

After reviving Leicester City and guiding them to an eighth-placed finish in 2000, Martin O'Neill returned to English football in 2006 after a successful spell with Celtic as he took charge of Aston Villa.

The charismatic Northern Irishman turned the Villans into consistent top-six challengers, helping the club to qualify for the UEFA Cup and just falling short of reaching the Champions League. Getting the best out of players like Gareth Barry and Gabriel Agbonlahor, O'Neill's 1.55 points-per-game record in the Premier League with Villa is second only to current boss Unai Emery.

Getty 

22. Eddie Howe

Long regarded as one of the best up-and-coming English managers, Eddie Howe made his name at Bournemouth - whom he kept in the Premier League for five years on a shoestring budget after securing a first-ever top-flight promotion in 2015, including a remarkable ninth-placed finish in 2017.

Howe has, of course, since joined Newcastle, whose fortunes he has completely changed alongside their new, incredibly wealthy Saudi owners. In the space of less than two seasons, the 46-year-old took the Magpies from battling relegation to the promised land of the Champions League, and there is the sense that they are here to stay as top-six challengers.

21. Sam Allardyce

Although his style of play has never been popular, Sam Allardyce has become renowned as an expert Premier League firefighter, swerving relegation after being brought in at struggling Blackburn, Sunderland and Crystal Palace.

It wasn't always that way, however; 'Big Sam' enjoyed his first foray into the top flight with Bolton Wanderers and guided them into Europe courtesy of a club-record, sixth-place finish in 2004-05, snaring a UEFA Cup place with a team full of 'streets won't forget' names like Jay-Jay Okocha, Ivan Campo and Stelios Giannakopoulos. His highest recent finish came at Everton in 2018, with whom he claimed eighth place.

Getty

20. Unai Emery

Emery had unfinished work in the Premier League after his ill-fated spell with Arsenal, but boy has he set about completing it. Succeeding Arsene Wenger was never going to be an easy task, but the Spaniard will feel he deserved more time after being sacked a little over a year into his tenure in November 2019.

Returning to English shores with Aston Villa in 2022, Emery has demonstrated what he is all about - propelling the Villans from relegation-threatened to European qualification in the season he took over and securing a historic top-four place in 2023-24 as Villa returned to the Champions League for the first time in 42 years. Impressive transfers and a distinctive, high-octane style of play mean the club is only looking upwards.

 

20. Unai Emery

Emery had unfinished work in the Premier League after his ill-fated spell with Arsenal, but boy has he set about completing it. Succeeding Arsene Wenger was never going to be an easy task, but the Spaniard will feel he deserved more time after being sacked a little over a year into his tenure in November 2019.

Returning to English shores with Aston Villa in 2022, Emery has demonstrated what he is all about - propelling the Villans from relegation-threatened to European qualification in the season he took over and securing a historic top-four place in 2023-24 as Villa returned to the Champions League for the first time in 42 years. Impressive transfers and a distinctive, high-octane style of play mean the club is only looking upwards.

 

Getty

19. Sir Bobby Robson

The late, great, Sir Bobby Robson only managed in the Premier League for four years of the 21st century at Newcastle, but that was all he required to earn the freedom of the city. He thrust the club from the lower reaches of the Premier League to consistent top-five finishes, securing Champions League football two years in a row and taking them as high as third in 2002-03.

One of the greatest football managers of all time, Sir Bobby will always be remembered particularly fondly on Tyneside for those heady years in the early 2000s, reflected in the fact he was granted the Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in March 2005. He has been immortalised with a statue outside St James' Park.

Getty 

18. Brendan Rodgers

Probably a consequence of what followed, it feels like an absolute age since Brendan Rodgers was the man in the Liverpool dugout - but he arguably laid the groundwork for their future success. After cutting his teeth at Chelsea and catching the eye with his attacking brand of play at Swansea, he came agonisingly close to ending Liverpool's wait for a Premier League title in 2013-14 with a team comprising a prime Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Steven Gerrard.

Although they fell (or slipped) two points short, this was one of the most entertaining sides in Premier League history. Rodgers would go on to enjoy success with Leicester, winning the FA Cup and twice qualifying for the Europa League via fifth-placed finishes in 2020 and 2021.

AFP

17. Harry Redknapp

Among the top-five managers to have taken charge of the most Premier League games with a total of 641, Harry Redknapp has certainly been around the block. Since the turn of the century, though, his greatest achievements have come at Portsmouth and Tottenham.

After initially steering the former away from the threat of relegation in 2005 and establishing them in the top flight, Redknapp was appointed at Spurs in 2008 after winning the FA Cup with Pompey. He then guided a middling side into the Champions League in less than two seasons at the helm with a scintillating style of play, overseeing a thrilling run to the quarter-finals as Gareth Bale starred.

Getty 

16. Roy Hodgson

The oldest manager to ever work in the Premier League, Roy Hodgson was actually something of a late bloomer in the English top-flight, enjoying a nomadic career before taking charge at Fulham in 2007 aged 60. Hodgson miraculously kept the Cottagers up after a tough start before incredibly securing Europa League football in his second season as he earned the club's highest-ever finish.

After reaching the final of the European competition, Hodgson would have an ill-fated spell at Liverpool, before turning relegation-threatened West Brom's fortunes around and being appointed by England (we all know how that went...). Hodgson is a hero at boyhood club Crystal Palace, too - keeping the club in the Premier League twice across two spells in south London and equalling the Eagles' record points total in 2018-19.

Getty 

15. Gerard Houllier

The late Gerard Houllier had a huge impact on Liverpool, instilling discipline and helping to revitalise and modernise the club in the early 2000s as he delivered tangible, incremental improvement in the league standings. He would make academy graduates Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen important members of his first-team setup and signed others who would become keys parts of the club's longer-term success.

Despite battling a heart condition, Houllier guided Liverpool to what was their highest-ever Premier League finish at the time in 2001-02, as the Reds came second behind Arsenal, while he had plenty of success in the cup competitions.

Getty 

14. David Moyes

David Moyes' Premier League career has been a rollercoaster, but he didn't let his ill-fated spell at Manchester United define him. He turned Everton into a consistent top-eight side over the course of his 11 years at Goodison Park despite a restrictive budget, even securing a fourth-placed finish in 2004-05 as he made shrewd signings like Tim Cahill and Steven Pienaar and set a long-term vision.

Although his tenures at United and Sunderland were unsuccessful, Moyes has rebuilt his reputation across two spells with West Ham - first keeping them in the Premier League in 2017-18 before returning to repeat the trick in 2019-20 and securing the Hammers' record points tally the following season. They would become European contenders and Conference League winners, and at the time of writing, the Scot is third in the list of those to have managed the most Premier League games with 697.

Getty 

13. Mikel Arteta

A man with the potential to climb this list as time goes by, Mikel Arteta has turned Arsenal into genuine, consistent title contenders for the first time in a very long time - now it is just a matter of landing that elusive first title.

The Gunners have had to be patient, but over the last five years Arteta has overseen incremental improvement - climbing from eighth place to second - and built a young squad capable of challenging, playing a distinctive, high-intensity brand of football, and now they look like the side most likely to loosen Man City's vice-like grip on the trophy.

Getty 

12. Mauricio Pochettino

One of the Premier League's nearly men, newly-appointed United States boss Mauricio Pochettino will always be a firm favourite at Tottenham, whose fortunes changed significantly after his arrival - although they would fall short of winning a trophy. He was named Spurs manager having guided Southampton to eighth place and their highest-ever points tally in 2013-14, in what was just his second job in management.

11. Rafael Benitez

Rafael Benitez was the man Liverpool chose to build on the groundwork laid by Houllier, and he delivered - especially in Europe, where the Reds famously won the Champions League in 2005.

Liverpool would become a thorn in the side of the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal under the Spaniard without landing a league title themselves, consistently finishing in the top four before mounting a title challenge in 2008-09 with Gerrard and Fernando Torres at their peaks. They would ultimately finish four points behind United.

Benitez would go on to have mixed spells elsewhere at Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton, entering the top 10 for games managed in the Premier League.

Getty 

10. Claudio Ranieri

The Premier League's ultimate comeback king. Claudio Ranieri was unceremoniously sacked by new Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2004 despite leading the Blues to a second-placed finish, signing Frank Lampard and nurturing John Terry.

The Italian would not return to England until 2015 as he was appointed at Leicester, with his reputation at its nadir following a terrible spell as Greece's national team boss. Charged predominantly with keeping the Foxes in the top flight, he would pull off what was nothing short of a miracle as Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Co. fired the club to a simply incredible league title, ultimately finishing the campaign 10 points clear of Arsenal. Dilly ding, dilly dong.

Getty 

9. Manuel Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini remains the only non-European winner of the Premier League as his well-oiled Man City machine saw off the stiff competition of Rodgers' Liverpool in 2013-14, thanks in no small part to that slip from Gerrard.

Known for their mesmerising, geometric patterns of play, City were certainly easy on the eye under Pellegrini's stewardship, scoring more than 100 league goals in record time on the way to claiming that title. Having been replaced by Pep Guardiola in 2016, the Chilean returned to English shores with West Ham two years later, but he was unable to deliver similar success and was sacked with the club in the relegation zone.

Getty 

8. Antonio Conte

A manager who wins things (almost) wherever he goes, Antonio Conte will always be a popular figure in one part of London, at least. After a dire start to the 2016-17 campaign as Chelsea's new manager, the Italian switched up his tactics by reverting to a back three - a setup that would be widely copied in subsequent years - and would reap the rewards.

Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses shone as wing-backs, while they had the guile of Eden Hazard, the vision of Cesc Fabregas and the goals of Diego Costa in central areas. It proved to be the perfect formula as the Blues recovered from their early-season blip to win the league at something of a canter, eventually finishing seven points clear of second-placed Tottenham and setting a new Premier League record for the most wins in a single season with 30.

Having been dismissed by Chelsea after a disappointing second season, Conte would, of course, return to the English top flight when he took charge of Spurs in 2021, and although he guided them back into the Champions League, things would soon turn sour.

7. Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini will always be remembered as the manager who oversaw arguably the greatest moment in Manchester City history, as Sergio Aguero's last-gasp winner against QPR secured the title in the final seconds of the 2011-12 campaign. Up until that point, his City tenure had been a slow burn, with the newly-moneyed Citizens finishing fifth and then third in his first two seasons at the helm.

That all changed in 2012, as he set City on course for this period of unprecedented success by claiming their first-ever Premier League title in the most dramatic fashion. It was a moment that secured Mancini's legacy forever.

Getty 

6. Carlo Ancelotti

You can't help but wonder what might have been had Chelsea held on to Carlo Ancelotti... The legendary Italian tactician led a rampant Blues side to the title in 2009-10 in his debut campaign, as the west Londoners became the first Premier League team to score more than 100 goals in a season (103) with Didier Drogba and Lampard at the peak of their powers.

After finishing second in an inconsistent second season, Ancelotti fell foul of Abramovich's ruthless streak and was dismissed. When his time at Chelsea ended, he had a record of 67 wins, 20 draws and 22 losses in 109 matches, with a win percentage among the highest in Premier League history.

Getty 

5. Jurgen Klopp

The man who has restored Liverpool to the very top of the English and European game, Jurgen Klopp was the perfect fit when the club turned to him in 2015. It was a gradual process, but Klopp's Reds eventually emerged as the main challengers to Man City's dominance as a modern rivalry was born between the two clubs and their managers in the late 2010s.

With his high-tempo, Gegenpressing tactics, Klopp would eventually end Liverpool's agonising 30-year wait for a top-flight title in the Covid-affected 2019-20 season, with captain Jordan Henderson hoisting the trophy aloft at a near-empty Anfield.

That would prove to be Klopp's only league title before he shockingly stepped down in 2024, but his deep understanding of the club and connection with the fans, as well as his multiple triumphs in the cup competitions, mean he will go down as one of Liverpool's greatest-ever managers.

Getty

4. Jose Mourinho

'The Special One'. Jose Mourinho disrupted the established order and propelled Chelsea to become regular challengers in the Premier League. With the swaggering, sneering manager in the dugout, the Blues were utterly dominant in his first two seasons as they claimed back-to-back league titles - including their first for 50 years - and sent out a message that their Abramovich-backed success would not be a flash in the pan.

Things would, of course, go awry, but Mourinho returned six years after his initial exit in 2007 and guided a brilliant Chelsea side to another league title in 2014-15, with Fabregas and Hazard among those to play a starring role.

Getty 

3. Arsene Wenger

Arsenal may have struggled in the latter part of his tenure, but Arsene Wenger remains one of the greatest managers to ever grace the Premier League. A man who arguably singlehandedly revolutionised the approach to football in England with his stylish, attractive brand of play and focus on a healthy lifestyle, the Gunners teams of the early 2000s absolutely oozed class.

The Frenchman's greatest achievement was undoubtedly the unbeaten season of 2003-04, as Arsenal's 'Invincibles' won the league title without losing a single game - a feat that may never be repeated. Wenger had claimed a first title in 2002, ending a period of Manchester United dominance.

He will always be revered in the red half of north London, with his technical philosophy now part of the fabric of the club and the benchmark for Arsenal teams ever since his arrival. Wenger has managed more Premier League games than anyone else with a ridiculous 828 - another achievement that is unlikely to ever be matched.

Getty

2. Pep Guardiola

A modern-day football revolutionary, Pep Guardiola has overseen an era of utter dominance for Manchester City as the club has consolidated its place at English football's top table since the Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008.

With the caveat that they have been bankrolled by Sheikh Mansour's near-limitless wealth - signing the likes of Aguero, David Silva and Erling Haaland down the years - and the fact that 115 charges of financial misconduct hang over them, Guardiola has built the Premier League's latest dynasty at the Etihad Stadium to follow in the footsteps of legacy managers Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson.

Getty 

1. Sir Alex Ferguson

Arguably the greatest manager football has ever witnessed, Sir Alex Ferguson remains the best in the modern history of the Premier League. The legendary former Manchester United boss won eight of his 13 league titles after the turn of the century, successfully adapting to respond to the respective rises of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City to ensure United continued to challenge.

Fiercely competitive, Ferguson was box office, too. His rivalry with Wenger was particularly bitter as two footballing philosophies clashed, producing some of the most iconic matches of all time on the pitch. The Scot's teams were often greater than the sum of all their parts, especially in the latter years of his reign.

- Krishan Davis

FEDERICO CHIESA IN LIVERPOOL SQUAD FOR UCL TRIP TO AC MILAN

Federico Chiesa is part of the Liverpool squad that will face Milan in the Champions League. Getty Images

Arne Slot said Federico Chiesa is still not fit to start for Liverpool, despite naming the Italy forward in his squad for Tuesday's Champions League clash against AC Milan in the San Siro.

Chiesa, 26, sealed a £10 million transfer from Juventus to Liverpool during the final week of the summer window last month -- a deal which saw him become the only addition to Slot's squad following the departure of former manager Jurgen Klopp last season.

Liverpool also signed goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, but the Georgia international was immediately loaned back to Valencia.

Former Fiorentina player Chiesa has been hit by a succession of serious injuries since helping Italy to Euro 2020 success in 2021 and he arrived at Anfield having last played a competitive game in Italy's Euro 2024 exit against Switzerland in July.

And Liverpool boss Slot said that, while Chiesa could make his first appearance against Milan, his best hope is of a late outing from the substitutes' bench.

"He [Chiesa] is for the first time in our team selection," Slot said at his pre-match press conference in Milan. "And since I said it's the first time he's in the selection, it would be a big surprise for him and for everyone if he would start tomorrow.

"So I don't think you should expect that he starts, but he can make a few minutes for the first time tomorrow if we need him and that is something we will see.

"But don't expect him to be there from in the starting lineup. He's been with Juve, training on his own for a long time, and now with us for a few weeks.

"He has had some training time, but it's too early for him to play 90 minutes. Hopefully he can make his first minutes in the upcoming fixtures."

Despite Chiesa's troubled recent fitness record, Slot said that he can still have an impact at Liverpool when he is fully fit.

"I always like to bring in quality players and I think that he is a quality player that combines quality with an enormous work rate," Slot said. "The culture of this club and the culture of this team is working really hard when we don't have the ball.

"And I think he brings this to his game in combination with scoring goals in combination with he can play in several positions upfront."

- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

QUICKEST TO 100 PREMIER LEAGUE WINS | MANAGERS

 

JÜRGEN KLOPP BACK IN THE DUGOUT: EX-LIVERPOOL BOSS ACCEPTS CALL.TO TAKE CHARGE OF FORMER CLUB AFTER SPECIAL REQUEST

Getty

Jurgen Klopp is set to return to the dugout as the ex-Liverpool boss will take charge of a special game at Borussia Dortmund.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The German tactician, who announced his unexpected departure from Liverpool in January and concluded his tenure with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in May, will once again take charge of a team—this time for a special occasion at one of his former clubs; Borussia Dortmund.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

In a nostalgic twist, Klopp will be making a return to the dugout for a one-off match at the iconic Signal Iduna Park on 7th September. This appearance will be part of a farewell event for two of Dortmund's most beloved players, Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski, both of whom were integral members of the squad during Klopp’s successful tenure at the club.

WHAT KLOPP SAID

Dortmund recently released a promotional video confirming Klopp's involvement in the event. In the video, Piszczek humorously initiates a video call with Blaszczykowski, saying, "Kollega, we have a farewell game, do you know that? We need a coach and I have an idea, we'll call the retired coach."

Klopp then entered the frame wearing black sunglasses and said: "You finally have your farewell game. Oh my god. And you want to train, are you stupid?"

When asked if he was going to manage one or both teams, Klopp added, "I couldn't care less. I do it like I used to, I start thinking about it five minutes beforehand."

The video ends with the phrase "Kloppo ist dabei," which translates to "Kloppo is there," confirming Klopp's participation in the tribute match for the Dortmund stars.

WHAT NEXT?

Since he departed from Liverpool, Klopp has been linked with various managerial vacancies across Europe - including the position of England manager after Gareth Southgate stepped down. Despite these rumours, Klopp has maintained that he continues to be on a sabbatical and is enjoying his time away from the game.

- Soham Mukherjee

MANAGERS WHO WON THE PREMIER LEAGUE AGAIST PEP GUARDIOLA

PREMIER LEAGUE SINCE JURGEN KLOPP

 

KLOPP ERA ENDS WITH VICTORY AS LIVERPOOL WAITS FOR ARNE SLOT

Klopp's farewell was filled with emotion and joy, as you'd expect, and he did his best to prime the raucous Reds faithful for their new coach, Arne Slot. John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

 LIVERPOOL -- Doubters. Believers. Conquerors. These three words on a banner at Anfield's Kop End, with each separated by an array of trophies, succinctly summed up Jurgen Klopp's 8½-year reign as Liverpool manager. As the curtain fell on his time at the helm, Klopp did his best to convince every supporter inside the stadium following the 2-0 win over Wolves that nothing will change once he walks out the door. However, once the euphoria of his emotional farewell subsides, reality might bite hard.

Arne Slot, the Feyenoord coach, has been chosen to fill the void left by Klopp, but the 45-year-old should probably avoid sitting down to watch how his predecessor's final day at Anfield played out unless he fancies waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, wondering what on earth he is about to walk into when he starts his new job.

Make no mistake: managing Liverpool is an incredible honour. They are one of the biggest clubs in the world, a team with a huge fanbase and a history that only Real Madrid can truly put in the shade. They have a team of stars, led by the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker, and emerging talent in the form of Jarell Quansah, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.

But here is the catch. The fans are utterly in love with Klopp because he restored Liverpool to greatness, made them a club that the best players wanted to play for again and delivered the biggest trophies. Slot has plenty of advantages to look forward to when he walks into Klopp's office and sits behind his desk, but if he saw and heard the adulation directed at Klopp before, during and after Sunday's victory, he might just think he has accepted an impossible job.

Few managers enjoy the privilege of leaving on their own terms. Football is such a ruthless business that even the most successful are fired when results take a nosedive. Both Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) and Claudio Ranieri (Leicester) were dismissed within months of winning the Premier League title and Klopp hasn't delivered that trophy to Anfield since 2020. But because he has rebuilt Liverpool and restored the club's pride and belief since arriving in Oct. 2015, Klopp has become perhaps the most popular manager of any club during the Premier League era.

For weeks now, since he announced his decision to step down from his role in January, the Liverpool fans have sung Klopp's name and also dreaded this day. As the fans' song goes, "I'm in love with him and I feel fine," though this was the day when it all came to an end. The banners -- "Danke Jurgen," "Jurgener Believers," "Boss" -- illustrated the affection for the former Borussia Dortmund coach, and so did the singing.

"Thanks for ignoring my request not to sing my song completely for the last six weeks," Klopp said after the game, when he addressed the crowd from the centre-circle. "If you sing it next year, that would be funny."

If Liverpool fans are singing Klopp's name next season, it probably won't be funny for Slot. The new man needs everyone to fall in line behind him -- from players and club staff to the supporters -- just as they have done for Klopp, but the danger for Slot is that he is judged alongside Klopp and that seems an unfair measuring stick for any future Liverpool manager, as a coach and as a personality.

But Klopp did his best for his successor. When Sir Alex Ferguson retired after 27 glorious years as Manchester United manager in 2013, he delivered a message to the club's fans saying, "The most important thing now is to get behind our new manager." That was David Moyes, who was fired within 10 months; United have been chewing up and spitting out managers ever since.

Will it be different at Anfield? Time will tell, but Slot can at least rest assured that he has the backing, and blessing, of the outgoing coach. "The new manager, I want you to sing his name," Klopp said. "Arne Slot, na na na na na!

"When the next season starts, go full throttle into it with the new manager. When you start, you keep believing. Don't stop believing. I saw a lot of people crying, same to me too, but change is good. If you go with the right attitude, everything will be fine."

The fans did sing Slot's name, just as Klopp said, but they quickly reverted to sing Klopp's. They wanted one last fist pump to the crowd, which he delivered, and he lingered on the pitch to make sure he soaked up every final bit of love and affection.

By that stage of the proceedings after full-time, he had changed into a red hoodie with "I'll never walk alone again" on the back. He said he was now "one of you" when talking to the fans and insisted that the future can be bright.

"It doesn't feel like an end, just feels like a start," Klopp said. "People told me I turned you from doubters to believers. That's not true. Believing is what you do yourself, you did it. Nobody tells you to stop believing.

"This club is in a better moment than for a long time. We decide if you believe or don't believe, trust or don't trust. Since today, I am one of you and I believe in you."

Fans were crying in the stands as Klopp gave his address and then walked around the pitch before heading up the tunnel for the final time, after soaking in the atmosphere and emotions on display for nearly two full hours after the game had ended.

It has been an unforgettable 8½ years, perhaps unsurpassable, but that is the task he has handed down to Arne Slot.

Good luck, Arne. You will really need it.

- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

JÜRGEN KLOPP'S FAREWELL: WHAT HE MEANS TO LIVERPOOL

 

Sunday will be Jurgen Klopp's 491st and final game in charge of Liverpool, ending an incredible run of trophies won, pride restored and a city galvanized by his presence. James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images

 LIVERPOOL -- Jurgen Klopp knew the Premier League title, and his dream of a glorious farewell as Liverpool manager, was gone. A 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat against Everton at Goodison Park last month left the team still with a mathematical chance of winning the league, but as much as he is a romantic, Klopp is also a realist.

Twenty-four hours later, defending champions Manchester City had the opportunity to take advantage of Liverpool's slip by winning at Brighton. City and manager Pep Guardiola have been a constant thorn in Klopp's side throughout his eight and a half year reign at Anfield, and the 56-year-old had no appetite to stay at home and watch his rivals on TV -- they would win 4-0 and leapfrog Liverpool in the table -- so he went to the pub.

At 6-foot-3, Klopp is an imposing figure, easily recognisable with or without the baseball cap he often wears. On this day, however, he was in no mood for selfies or autograph hunters as he walked to The Freshfield, the pub less than a five-minute stroll from his home in Formby.

The seaside town 10 miles up the coast from Liverpool makes for a tranquil spot. Klopp's road is lined by towering Scots pine and sycamore trees all the way up to the squirrel sanctuary that butts against the sand dunes. It's a nice escape from the intensity of the title race, that physically and psychologically draining nine-month, 38-game battle to win the Premier League. But what happened at The Freshfield epitomised the unique bond that Klopp has forged with his club's supporters and the city of Liverpool.

"My son was here and the last thing we wanted to do is to watch City playing," Klopp said. "So we went out and in that time we were there, I think 20 people just came to say 'Thank you' and I was really not in the mood. I wanted to apologize for the night before because I know what it means to the people. And the response is, 'No, forget that. No, no, no. Thank you for what you have done.'

"It's crazy how the people in Liverpool people are. It's exactly what I learned here."

Klopp will take charge of Liverpool for the final time when Wolves visit Anfield on Sunday, and tickets are already being sold online for more than £1,400 ($1,775). The most expensive ticket, purchased through official channels for a Premier League game at Anfield, is usually £61 ($77).

Klopp has revived Liverpool since arriving at the club in October 2015. He has won every major trophy, with the exception of the Europa League, at least once and the team's title win in 2019-20 ended a 30-year wait to become champions of England again. But his impact has gone beyond the confines of Anfield.

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones said in January, days after the manager announced his decision to step down at the end of the season, that Klopp was the "dad of the whole city," while Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool City Region, told ESPN that the former Borussia Dortmund coach is "as revered in the religion of Liverpool football club as the Pope is to Catholicism." One Liverpool source said that Klopp "made Liverpool cool again," drawing more positive attention to the city than any of its high-profile figures since the Beatles in the 1960s.

To outsiders, Klopp can be a divisive figure, one who has been punished on a number of occasions for berating match officials during games. He can also be tetchy on camera or if he believes that his right to privacy away from the game has been denied by fans or paparazzi. But he is also perhaps unique in the Premier League era as a manager who has forged a sense of unity and affection like no other between himself, his players and the club's supporters. Sir Alex Ferguson did not manage that at Manchester United and Guardiola hasn't achieved it at Manchester City, but at Liverpool, you would waste a lot of time trying to find anyone with a negative word to say about Klopp.

"He lit a fire under the place when he arrived," Dan Morgan, the author of "Jurgen Said To Me: Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool and the Remaking of a City," told ESPN. "The best way to describe his time as manager is that it has felt like being at a kitchen party after everywhere else has closed."

What drew Klopp to Liverpool

Klopp's arrival came after a strong spell at Borussia Dortmund, though he cut his planned sabbatical short to take on the challenge of restoring a damaged team to its former glory. Alex Livesey/Getty Images

"I am the normal one," Klopp said in his first news conference as Liverpool manager in 2015. "I am a totally normal guy."

Due to a lack of space at Anfield, Liverpool had considered staging Klopp's introductory news conference at the Titanic Hotel in the city, but abandoned the idea when it was suggested that launching a new era in a building named after a ship which sank on its first voyage would not be the greatest idea.

Tongue-in-cheek remark aside, Klopp had already proved himself to be something more than normal during seven years in charge of Borussia Dortmund, guiding the club to two Bundesliga titles in an era otherwise dominated by Bayern Munich. He also took Dortmund to a Champions League final in 2013 before losing to Bayern at Wembley, but on his first day at Anfield, he was smart enough to avoid the trap of echoing Jose Mourinho's legendary introduction at Chelsea in 2004, when the Portuguese coach described himself as the "Special One."

A year earlier, Klopp had rejected an approach from Manchester United to succeed David Moyes as manager at Old Trafford. Ed Woodward, United's then-executive vice chairman, had try to sell the vision of Old Trafford being an "adult version of Disneyland," but Klopp was distinctly unimpressed by the sales pitch. As someone who has never hidden his socialist beliefs, the corporate spin delivered by Woodward completely misjudged the person at whom it was being directed.

Liverpool were in a different place when they approached Klopp in 2015, a club struggling to recreate its glorious past while carrying a fanbase and history every bit as big and demanding as United's. Michael Edwards, then Liverpool's sporting director, had secretly scouted Klopp for months, even booking himself into the same hotel as Dortmund prior to a Bundesliga game simply to watch how Klopp interacted with players and staff.

By the time Liverpool came calling, Klopp was four months into a sabbatical following his departure from Dortmund at the end of the previous season. However, the chance to revive the club and build a new team at Anfield convinced him to cut short his planned yearlong break and take on the challenge of restoring the club as one of the best in the world again.

Klopp spoke of turning "doubters into believers" at that first news conference and said there would be a title "within four years." He proved to be one year out, though nobody was still counting by then. "The day Jurgen was appointed, I said, 'Fasten your seatbelts,'" former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish said. "We're off and running here."

Dalglish's perspective was quickly shared by the players. Liverpool had narrowly missed out on the title in 2013-14 -- they finished second, with 84 points to Man City's 86 despite Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge scoring 52 combined league goals -- but manager Brendan Rodgers had lost his grip on the squad, and belief and morale was low by the time he was fired. Klopp immediately injected energy and optimism.

"When he [Klopp] came in in the early days, things started to change in training -- buzzwords like 'counter-press' and all the players bought into it," Sturridge told Sky Sports. "Then the first preseason was the one when you kind of realized, 'Okay cool, this is very different.'

"The way in which we were preparing, how fit we got ... And I think as time went on, the tactics and the mindset of the team changed and they were right on point with how he wanted us to be. We were going to run through a brick wall for this guy. He gave us a tenacity that we probably didn't have as much of before. Throughout my time at Liverpool with him, never once did we go into a game thinking we couldn't win or there was a negative mindset on the approach."

Klopp's attention to detail and demand for the highest standards was evident from the outset. In his first game in charge, against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, Klopp noticed how smart and imposing the Spurs players looked in their fitted training kit compared to Liverpool's players warming up in baggy, ill-fitting red tops. "Our boys looked like Captain Picard [from Star Trek]," Klopp said. "It was all the wrong size, it didn't fit and I wasn't happy. How can you already be second best before the game has even started? So the next day I asked for meeting and changed it immediately. Those kind of things are important."

He also hired the world champion high-wave surfer, Sebastian Steudtner, to give a motivational talk to the players about taking on ever-more daunting challenges. Klopp was laying the foundations, though his team was still miles from competing for the title and would finish his first season in eighth position, losing the Europa League final against Sevilla. It didn't matter; he was making his mark.

"Jurgen started to introduce training sessions in the early evening and a lot of players didn't like it," a Liverpool source told ESPN. "A couple of the senior players went to see him and said some of the lads weren't happy and wanted a rethink. Jurgen said, 'Fine, tell those players to come and see me and we'll sort it out.'

"The message went back to the dressing room and not one player took him up on the offer. He'd made his point: he was the boss."

'He really is the best of us'

Klopp was a frequent fixture at community events given his connections and passion for the city, visiting the children's hospital at regular intervals to bring joy where it was needed. John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

There have been many glory days and nights during Klopp's time as Liverpool manager. There was the club's sixth Champions League crown, secured with a 2-0 win against Tottenham in Madrid in 2019, and an end to the 30-year wait for the title during the 2019-20 season that was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Under Klopp, Liverpool fans have celebrated cup wins at Wembley in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup triumph in Qatar in 2019, and also the unforgettable 4-0 win against Lionel Messi and Barcelona at Anfield in the 2018-19 Champions League semifinal that overturned a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 first-leg deficit.

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and many others have become club legends with Klopp as manager and the football played by his team has been enthralling, exciting, pulsating and breathtaking, often at the same time. He's also had a proven track record of ensuring that academy players have a path to the first team; Klopp promoted Alexander-Arnold from the Under-18s in 2016-17, while also bringing through Jones, Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley (among others) in recent seasons, inspiring young stars to keep pushing.

But what makes Klopp so revered at Liverpool is the man as much as the manager. He has spoken out against Liverpool's attempt to form a breakaway Super League, echoed fans' concerns over ticket prices and fought the supporters' corner when they were being condemned for the chaos which preceded the 2022 Champions League final in Paris -- UEFA later admitted it was wrong to blame Liverpool fans for the delayed kickoff.

Klopp also backed the fans when criticised for booing the national anthem at Wembley. "When people have condemned us for booing 'God Save the King,' Jurgen just said that we must have a reason for doing it," author Morgan said. "As fans, you just feel that he has got your back."

Klopp also led his team to numerous memorials for the Hillsborough disaster, living up to his role as a figurehead for the club. Liverpool FC - Handout/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

During the pandemic, Klopp's wife, Ulla, handed out £1,000 worth of food vouchers to staff at a supermarket in Formby as a thanks from the couple to those who'd put aside the risks to ensure customers could purchase essentials during the first lockdown. Quite simply, there is a sense within the club's fanbase and city as a whole that Klopp "gets it" like few others.

"Do you know what will happen in a few years' time?" Rotheram said. "Everybody, Everton fans included, will recognize fully the part that Jurgen played in the leadership of the city rather than just being a football manager. Rivalry seems to sully any thought outside of the tribalism of football, but when you get away from that and see, for instance, during Covid, the way he led and how the fans got him on side with ticket price. I just think he espouses the same sort of values and principles as the ordinary fans.

"He has a special quality. I'm just glad that he didn't decide that he wants to be a politician because God knows what chance anybody else would have. But if he did lead the world, it would be a better world to live in."

Klopp has also worked closely with supporters in several areas, helping them to gain support for campaigns or simply encouraging them to pursue their beliefs. In 2021, Klopp met Paul Amann, the founder of Liverpool's LGBT+ group, Kop Outs, after games against Chelsea had been marred by homophobic chanting by some Liverpool supporters, and Amann said that Klopp's intervention proved crucial.

"No other person in football has spoken up on the issue like Jurgen Klopp," Amann told ESPN. "When I met him, we sat down and he wanted to know about the chant, why it mattered to us as fans. By speaking to us, and using our conversation on a video clip, Jurgen amplified our voices rather than allow others to ignore them. The impact on social media saw a 50-50 split in terms of support and abuse change to 90-10 and when a sporadic idiot chants now, the vast majority of decent fans shout them down. Jurgen unquestionably helped rid Anfield of the chant.

"He really is the very best of us. He has supported our campaign, local hospitals, the Hillsborough families. He spent time making Teams calls to supporters who were isolating during the pandemic -- none of that is in his job description.

"If you look at the stereotype of a Liverpudlian, it is all about solidarity, a civic mentality and passion. Jurgen fits the archetype of the values of a Liverpudlian. But most of all, he is all of us. He acts like the maddest fan on the touchline at times, but he's living out our joys and frustrations."

'It's not so important what people think when you come in, it's what people think when you leave'

If Klopp had won four more games over his nine-year spell at Liverpool, he would be leaving with three Premier Leagues and three Champions Leagues rather than one of each. It is a simplistic way of highlighting what could have been, but had Liverpool beaten Real Madrid in their two Champions League final encounters in 2018 and 2022, those additional European Cups would have been added to Anfield's trophy room. Liverpool lost just one league game in the 2018-19 Premier League season and finished one point behind champions Manchester City -- it's worth noting no English team has ever won 90-plus points and 30-plus games in a single season without lifting the trophy -- and they fell one point short again in 2021-22 as Guardiola's side emerged victorious.

Such fine margins show just how close Klopp's Liverpool have come to reaching even greater heights. They have had the misfortune to enjoy their own period of success at the same time as one of English football's greatest-ever teams, so has the Klopp era been a story of great things or what might have been?

"I honestly believe if you start looking at what he hasn't done, I think you're missing the point of what this guy has done, not just on the pitch but also off the pitch," former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp said. "If you look at the what could have been, there's obviously the two Champions Leagues, but he got Liverpool in the mix. He got them back from being a club that was not really getting talked about.

"He's made people believe again that this club is a huge club, which is exactly what it is. He has been phenomenal."

"No, I'm delighted with what we have had," Amman said. "This has been done with a great manager, not some wannabe, but somebody who is the real deal and the football has been incredible. We have followed the rules and our success has been indisputable. The only trophy we haven't won is the Europa League, so I have no regrets about what might have been."

For some supporters, Klopp's achievement in restoring Liverpool to football's elite in England and Europe will be his legacy.

Liverpool hadn't won the English title since 1990 until Klopp delivered it in 2020, but the club had also won just one trophy, the Carabao Cup, in the nine years prior to his arrival. Some of the team's best players -- Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, Luis Suarez -- had left Anfield because they could not envisage their ambitions being realised at Liverpool. Klopp changed all of that. "He puts us back on our perch," Rotheram said.

Morgan, a lifelong Liverpool supporter, believes that Klopp did all of the above but also gave a new generation of fans their day in the sun. "Until Jurgen arrived, a lot of fans were ready to give up," Morgan said. "We'd all heard stories from our fathers and grandfathers about the success they had seen, the European Cups and league titles, but this generation had only really seen failure and had been starved of those great stories.

"But Jurgen arriving was like alchemy at the perfect time. We had had so many false starts and nearly dawns, but Jurgen's greatest gift has been to deliver on the promise he made when arrived, to bring success again. The only regret is that we didn't get to watch the culmination of the title-winning season because of the pandemic. But we have had an unbelievable time under Jurgen Klopp. All eyes were on us and it's been amazing."

When he sat down and gave his first statement as Liverpool manager, Klopp made one viewpoint clear. "It's not so important what people think when you come in," he said. "It's what people think when you leave."

When he walks off Anfield for the final time Sunday, Klopp will be in no doubt as to what they think of him in Liverpool.

- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC