How important the end of the season is for Liverpool.
Arne Slott announced a three-year contract with Jurgen Klopp as head coach on Monday, as the pair bid an emotional farewell to Jurgen Klopp and a new era.
Here’s the inside story from the final week, including laughs, tears, dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson and Taylor Swift’s outburst…
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Jurgen Klopp took to the stage as Liverpool legend John Barnes delighted the crowd with a flawless rendition of Rapper’s Delight by Sugar Hill Gang.
They performed an impromptu double act, with Barnes singing and Klopp showing off his dance moves while wearing a black baseball cap from back to front. The Titanic Hotel, close to Liverpool’s iconic seafront, was the venue for a lavish farewell party on Sunday night.
Klopp rocked out on the dance floor to John Barnes’ ‘Anfield Rap’ last night pic.twitter.com/uzte7OE02x
— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) May 20, 2024
After all the emotions of the testimonial at Anfield a few hours earlier, it was time to relax. Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss” blared as Klopp led his team into the luxurious function room at around 9.30pm to join family, friends and club staff.
The guest list included UFC fighter Paddy “The Bad” Pimblitt, while Barnes was joined by Anfield superstars Sir Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush, with festivities continuing until 4am.
The champagne flowed, the orchestra played, and then DJ Twotone took over. Every member of the team was present, with Dalvin Nunez being one of the last players to leave.
Earlier, the Uruguayan striker did not applaud as a guard of honor was held for Klopp on the pitch, but he was in good spirits during the gathering. On one stage, South American trio Nunez, Colombia’s Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister from Argentina participated in a dance competition.
Just after 10pm, Klopp, players and coaching staff were invited to the stage. A series of video messages from current and former stars were shown on the big screen, thanking him for the impact Klopp had on their careers.
The likes of Klopp, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson took to the microphone to say a few words. As well as the outgoing manager, tributes were also paid to Joel Matip and Thiago, who left as free agents this summer.
Trophies won during the German’s nearly nine-year reign were on display, with Klopp receiving a miniature version of the trophy earlier at Anfield after the game against Wolves. A children’s play area was set up for the players’ families and a photo booth was set up for guests with the caption “Danke Jurgen” printed on the photo.
Klopp’s parting gift from FSG executive team John W. Henry, Mike Gordon, Tom Werner and Billy Hogan (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Back on Tuesday last week, after the players had a day off following a 3-3 draw with Aston Villa the night before, Klopp attended an event at Anfield for around 700 club staff from different departments. special events. He stood on the steps of the main stand with his silverware beneath him so he could sit with them on either side for a photo.
LFCTV’s in-house crew then had 20 minutes to film Klopp’s farewell to supporters – using a drone to film him in the center circle and then filming the Kop with the club scarf around his neck.
Forever red❤️ pic.twitter.com/4teP4vCJUk
— Liverpool Football Club (@LFC) May 17, 2024
Tours of the stadium have been stopped in an effort to keep these moments private, but some French students were still on the upper floors and photos they took soon appeared on social media.
Klopp then went to the Carlsberg Dugout executive lounge in the main stand, where staff from various departments of the club accepted an hour-long question and answer session. Klopp spoke candidly and at times emotionally as he spoke of being part of the “Liverpool family”.
What advice would you give someone about building a great team? “Build it around Bobby Firmino.”
Favorite movie? “Forrest Gump – I can’t believe Tom Hanks was just yards away from me last night[at Villa Park].”
Actor Hanks attended Liverpool’s match at Villa… but Klopp didn’t get an autograph (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
When asked what music he listens to, Klopp revealed his wife Ulla bought them tickets to see Taylor Swift at Anfield next month and he started singing her hit song “Shake It Off” .
Despite spending the best part of a decade in England, he admits cricket still baffles him. “I heard the scores were announced, but I still didn’t know who won.”
Klopp says his favorite Scottish word is “love” and it took him years to understand why women in the training ground canteen would say to him every morning: “Would you like a coffee, love?” “
Klopp’s idea was to have “Thank you darling” printed on the front of the T-shirts and hoodies worn by departing staff after Sunday’s final game against Wolves. On the back they read: “I will never walk alone again.”
Jurgen Klopp helped design his farewell hoodie (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
At the end of the Q&A, Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan presented Klopp with a book filled with heartfelt messages from staff. Klopp explained that he could not stay for the drinks portion of the event because he was going out for dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson, which he later described as “fabulous”.
There was a long-standing mutual respect between them. Klopp once said that meeting Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time was “like meeting the Pope”. After Liverpool won the 2020 Premier League title, Ferguson said when congratulating Klopp: “The level of performance of the team is outstanding. I will forgive you for waking me up at 3:30 in the morning to tell me that you won the league .
The real Jurgen Klopp – Athletic Special series
A group of Norwegian Liverpool fans were sitting in the Freshfields pub in Formby Town last Wednesday night chatting to former Liverpool striker David Fairclough when, to their surprise, Klopp walked in.
He and assistant Peter Kravitz drank with members of the club’s media department and happily posed for selfies and signed autographs.
The next day, a player barbecue was held at the club’s Kirkby base after training, with captain Virgil van Dijk paying a touching tribute to Klopp and his backroom staff. They each received a Rolex watch as a parting gift from the team.
Freshfields Pub, Jurgen Klopp’s local pub (Simon Hughes/The Athletic)
From there, assistants Pep Lijnders and Krawietz, along with elite development coach Vitor Matos, goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, head of fitness Andreas Kornmayer and head of recovery and performance Andreas Schlumberger, drove to the Anfield Hotel near the stadium for a special reception. .
“These guys made us the fucking world champions,” declared musician Jamie Webster, who performed “Allez Allez Allez” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” on the patio.
Each coach received a Liverpool shirt with their name on the back and signed by hundreds of fans. The microphone was passed to supporters to express their fondest memories and thanks.
“Picture ourselves,” Linders said, nodding to the banner on Popular Science. “Tell me a club in world football that organizes something like this for the staff behind the scenes. It’s incredible.
The final training session took place on Saturday, with Klopp cleaning out his office and leaving the AXA training center for the last time. He published an open letter to the Liverpool Echo in which he described his second home as “a city with open arms”.
A man who once warned about the dangers of social media has launched his own Instagram account with an eye on the future. Within 48 hours, @Kloppo amassed over 2 million followers.
Klopp broke down earlier this week as he read out a letter from a fan while filming with LFCTV and is desperate for the atmosphere at Anfield on Sunday to be one of celebration rather than sadness. He got his wish.
His speech on the pitch after the game hit all the right notes, telling fans, “From today on, I’m one of you,” before returning to the dressing room, telling his players: “I love you. , that’s all I have.
“The football you can play is absolutely ridiculous. I can’t wait to watch you grow and take the next step. Thank you for the ride. I’m proud of you and I’m proud that I’m allowed to be a part of it. Sky This is your limit, children.
When Klopp finally attended his final press conference shortly after 8pm, about two hours after the final whistle, he pulled out his phone and took a picture of the media members sitting in front of him The photo, which was quickly uploaded to his Instagram account. He joked: “In case I miss you.”
Klopp stressed that he intends to take at least a year off and may not be able to play again. He will attend the Champions League final between his former club Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley in London on June 1 and the Paris Paralympics in August.
There may not be any trophies up for grabs at Anfield on Sunday, but data from Blinkfire Analytics highlights the scale of interest. The UK TV audience for the Wolves game peaked at 1.2 million, with 70% more people watching Klopp’s post-match farewell ceremony than watching Manchester City’s title celebrations at the same time on another Sky Sports channel. On YouTube, Anfield videos have 44% more views than Etihad Stadium videos.
In terms of fan engagement across all content posted on the club’s social media platforms, Liverpool set a new Premier League high of 26 million for a single game on Sunday, reaching 26 million, while Manchester City attracted 19.4 million.
Linda Pizzuti, wife of Liverpool boss John W Henry, reacted to a post on Instagram of Manchester City celebrating their fourth consecutive title on X, which read: ” This Means Four” – a play on Liverpool’s old marketing slogan “This Means More”.
“Hearty congratulations to Manchester City – Premier League champions. Deep respect for this huge achievement. Thank you for thinking of us on your special day,” she wrote.
Slott’s appointment was finally officially confirmed on Monday afternoon, but Klopp effectively announced the appointment for Liverpool when he started chanting in the center circle on Sunday night.
After officially leaving the Dutch side, Slaughter told Feyenoord.com: “It was certainly not an easy decision to close the door at a club that has experienced so many great moments and worked successfully with so many good people.” “But as a sportsman, the opportunity to become a Premier League manager at one of the biggest clubs in the world is something that cannot be ignored.”
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Preseason will begin in early July, with the squad already depleted due to this summer’s European Cup and Copa America in Germany and the United States. Slot’s number two, Sipke Hulshoff, will step down from the Netherlands squad ahead of the Euros so he can focus on the job at hand on Merseyside.
What a week it turned out to be. The baton has been passed on.
(Popular Photo: Getty Images)
