Klopp reveals why he “lusts for success” as a manager

Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Liverpool are “completely at peace” at the conclusion of the 2018/19 season in a documentary released by German broadcaster ZDF last month, translated by Tom Weber.

In a candid interview, the Reds boss discussed his ambitions, the spending power of the Premier League, and his approach to managing players.

“We’re completely at peace with ourselves,” Klopp said, when asked about the not winning the Premier League title this past season.

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“It’s not like LFC fans wake up in the morning and feel the weight of 29 years without a league title. LFC fans wake up in the morning and think ‘#phwoar what a season’.

‏”This city lives and breathes football. It’s incredible. They (the issues) aren’t talked about *that* much, because Liverpool is a city of music and football. It’s a great city and the two things that define it are music and football. It’s actually quite calming.”

On his personal ambitions, the Reds boss said: “Early on in my life, I had to learn that giving it your all doesn’t automatically lead to getting everything you want. But I also quickly realised that there’s no alternative – you have to give it your all.

“I am ambitious. But not in a bad way, not too ambitious. I lust for success.

“At the very beginning of my career, I decided that I would be the coach that I always wanted to have. Someone who’s understanding, but also not afraid to be imposing. Uplifting, but also critical.

“I just want to be open with my players. If one of them has a question, they can just ask me. If they want to talk about private stuff, I’m also there.

“After a bad game, they can come to my office and I’ll explain what went wrong. That’s the type of coach I am and…it’s really exhausting.

“I am older and more experienced. Because of that, I’ve realised that my antics don’t actually impact the game that much.

“At home, I am actually a very calm person. That might sound silly judging by how I act on the touchline, but in those 90 minutes, something is different. In my private life, I am very relaxed.”

Klopp also spoke candidly about Liverpool as a financial entity, referencing his own 2016 quote about Premier League spending power.

“The club is massive, a worldwide brand. But within the club, it’s all cosy and warm, it’s like a family and that is what I love the most,” he said.

“Everybody in England has a favourite club. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who didn’t like football. Doesn’t matter if you’re in Burnley or anywhere else, you have a club you grew up supporting. It’s a bit different, I know a lot of Germans who don’t care about footy.

“Back when I was in Germany, Bayern had a ‘bottomless pit of money’, like £100m. In today’s market, that gets you one centre back. So this bottomless pit of money is enough to buy one player in today’s world and that doesn’t even cover their wages!

“The market has changed more than I expected, but I stand by what I said. Maybe things were lost in translation but my point was: if we reach a point where football is solely about money and not football, then I’m leaving. And I still feel the same way about it.

“Liverpool is an ambitious club and if we didn’t spend the same amount of money as others, we wouldn’t be able to compete. Everybody’s splashing the cash, so we have to do the same.”

Sandro Schwarz, the current coach of Klopp’s former side Mainz, also had his say on the Liverpool boss.

“When the news of Klopp going to Liverpool broke, I thought: Great, awesome club, Kloppo will fit right in,” said Schwarz.

“The way he is, his mannerisms, his style of coaching, the football his team plays and the way he gets people off their seat, it fits.

“But then I remembered the language barrier and I thought: #phwoar I can’t wait to hear that. But he’s done sensationally well, I’ve even visited him and he’s done brilliantly. He’s doing things his way and he is ‘the normal one’.”

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Source: anfieldhq.com