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Jurgen Klopp, the charismatic German manager who is currently in charge of Liverpool, has been known for his emotional approach to the game since his days at Mainz 05. He is a man who expresses himself very well and encourages his team to play with the same attitude.
However, this does not mean that his tactical approach is in any way less fruitful but the fact remains that his tactics are directed towards an extreme use of energy and emotion, to produce what he likes to call ‘heavy metal’ football.
Klopp started his playing career with SV Glatten as a 5-year old and then moved on to TuS Ergenzingen and 1. FC Pforzheim after that. Subsequently, he played for three Frankfurt clubs, G Eintracht Frankfurt (Under 23), Viktoria Sindlingen and Rot-Weiss Frankfurt.
It was at Mainz 05 however, where the seeds of zest and passion for the game were sown. He spent 11 years with the club as a player between 1990 and 2001 and was then appointed as the manager of the club soon after his retirement.
Someone who has spent a major chunk of their career at one club definitely has greater emotional attachment with the game and that serves to bring out the added fervour in their attitude towards the beautiful game.
Mainz had never played in the Bundesliga before, but as their manager, Klopp took them to Germany’s top league in the 2004-05 season. He even took them to the UEFA Cup the next year.
However, the club got relegated in the following season, and even after all his efforts, they finished a solitary position behind the promotion positions, following which the heart-broken manager resigned from his post.
Trophy-laden spell at Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund, who had a disappointing season themselves, came calling and Klopp signed a 2-year deal with them. Few of the Dortmund faithful would have predicted then that the blonde 41-year-old would help bring the glory days back.
Klopp announced on his arrival that he had joined to ‘create memories.’ He said, “The 2008/2009 season will be remembered for a return of important successes. We are involved in three competitions and want to provide positive surprises in the Bundesliga, German Cup and UEFA Cup.”
The team which managed 13th the season before finished sixth in his first season. His reactions on the sidelines were for everyone to see, he jumped up and down, frowned, got irritated, and vented his emotions, without holding back.
But that was just the start of it. The club finished fifth the next season and earned a UEFA Europa League place. The next season was something which no one in their wildest dreams would have predicted. Dortmund soared to the title, seven points clear of the second-placed team.
They were termed as ‘one-season’ wonders after it but they shut their critics up in some style. They won the Bundesliga for the second season running, this time by 12 points, and adding a DFB Pokal to that as well. The club that was on the brink of bankrupcy 5 years ago, won the double thanks to Jurgen Klopp.
His teams always play at a high intensity, pressing their opponents high up the pitch and with great pace down the flanks. This high intensity pressing came to be known as gegenpressing. Dortmund used to play a very attractive brand of counter-attacking football and coupled with their solidity in midfield and defence, they were a very dangerous opposition.
The next season Klopp emphasized that he wanted to stress on the Champions League more, and went on to reach the finals of the European tournament, where they lost to Bayern Munich. The manner in which BVB thrashed Real Madrid 4-1 in the first leg of the semi-finals at Westfalenstadion is still fresh in every football fan’s memory.
The end of the 2014-15 season saw Klopp leave Die Schwarzgelben after the club somehow managed to finish seventh after spending most of the season in the bottom half of the table.
Klopp's emotional side helps connect with players
What appealed to everyone was the manner in which he decided to quit, stating clearly that he didn’t think he was the perfect coach for the club anymore, which showed that he put the team above his own interests.
The German has always treated his players the right way. He is like a mentor who is half-friend, half-father figure to the players. He transfers his exuberant nature onto the players and expects them to be a mirror image of his energetic self on the field.
Klopp famously once showed his team the stills of Barcelona players celebrating their goals rather than their style of play to make them realise the importance of celebrating their achievements. All this clearly indicates that feelings associated with the game are very important to him.
Dortmund under Klopp showed hunger in their game, one of the most important aspects of the German’s philosophy, something which made them one of the best clubs in Europe.
The level of stamina and technical ability the manager demanded from his players bordered on madness but the love and affection with which he treated his players gave them the strength to run an extra yard when the opponents couldn’t.
Klopp introduced a special training machine during his days at Dortmund, called the Footbonaut. The player is supposed to stand in a cage of 14 square metres and balls are fired at him from all four sides of the cage. He then has to control the ball and pass it into one of the 64 allocated panels.
Different coaches in the world have different techniques when it comes to training and Klopp knew exactly what he wanted from his team and how to make his players reach the level he wants. The position from which he picked Borussia Dortmund up and took them to win six trophies in seven years, something that will be very hard to emulate for most of the managers in the world.
Some might have done it in the past but with the amount of money being injected into football nowadays and the fact that club owners all over demand results from the word go, only makes it difficult.
He takes time to get his ideology through but they have worked at every club he has been at so far, and it looked like his current Liverpool team have started imbibing some features of it already, as was evident from their 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge recently.
The world can term it madness but the technique and pace displayed by the 48-year-old German’s on the field, always interests everyone around. His feverous display on the sideline only strengthens the fact that he is a true lover of the game and will keep following his philosophy, no matter what.
