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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that the EFL Cup final win against Chelsea on Sunday, February 25, was the most special trophy of his career.
The Reds lifted their first silverware of the season by defeating the Blues at Wembley, courtesy of a 118th-minute Virgil van Dijk winner. The 1-0 win marked the Reds' 10th EFL Cup triumph in their history.
Speaking to the media after the game, Klopp said (via Chris Bascombe on X):
“Easily the most special trophy I ever won. It is an overwhelming feeling."
Since taking over at Anfield in 2015, Klopp has guided the Reds to seven trophies, including the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League. He has also won the Bundesliga twice with Borussia Dortmund.
However, the EFL Cup win might have had a slight emotional factor attached to it. Klopp announced last month that he would be stepping down as the Reds' manager at the end of the season.
The Merseysiders are also vying with Manchester City and Arsenal for the Premier League title this season. Klopp's side are the current league leaders with 60 points from 26 matches.
Pep Lijnders clearly says he won't replace Jurgen Klopp as the Liverpool manager
With Jurgen Klopp set to step down at the end of the season, Liverpool have the monumental task of replacing the German tactician.
Apart from the likes of Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, and Ruben Amorim, Klopp's current assistant Pep Lijnders is also reportedly in the conversation to become the next head coach.
Lijnders, however, has dismissed those rumors, saying (via The Boot Room):
"We knew already in the summer that we are coming toward the end of this project. The last years, I got offers. My heart always said yes, my loyalty and my respect and friendship with Mike and Jurgen said no."
He added:
“So, the moment we spoke and he (Klopp) said ‘I’m thinking about (leaving)’ I said that is, for me, clear: I will go and manage. We will end this project together. I feel that it’s the project of a lot of people and I feel that it’s the right way to do it, like this."
Lijnders concluded:
“The club can find a new coach with new elements. But I’m excited to manage, I’m excited to go, to find the right club who really wants (me). But until the last final of the season, I’m focused on Liverpool, not on what’s happening now. That’s why we have agents, no?”
The Reds don't have much time to celebrate their EFL Cup win as they return to action on February 28 to take on Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round.
