| Full Name: | Jurgen Norbert Klopp |
| Age: | 56 |
| Date Of Birth: | June 16, 1967 |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 |
| Place Of Birth: | Stuttgart |
| Nationality: | German |
Liverpool appointed Jurgen Klopp as the club’s newest manager in October 2015 to replace Brendan Rodgers. The German has since overseen the Reds return to being a title-contending side in England.
Anfield chiefs last extended Klopp’s contract until June 2026 in April 2022 following his trophy-laden tenure on Merseyside so far. Rodgers had served as the Premier League giants’ previous head coach from July 2012 to October 2015. But the Northern Irishman fell short in his bid to lift any silverware.
Liverpool chose to name Klopp as Rodgers’ replacement to end his brief hiatus upon leaving Borussia Dortmund earlier in 2015. The 55-year-old enjoyed a storied career in his homeland which ultimately returned two Bundesliga titles to the Westfalenstadion. BVB also reached a Champions League final.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s past coaching career
Borussia Dortmund won the last two of their eight Bundesliga titles to date whilst Klopp stood at the helm from July 2008 to June 2015. But he stepped down after seven years in charge after finishing in seventh place in 2014/15. It was the North Rhine-Westphalia outfit’s worst finish under the tactician.
Klopp became highly coveted throughout Europe whilst in charge at the Westfalenstadion, however. His style of Gegenpressing football won fans around the continent with its high intensity and attack-first style. It also saw BVB make the 2013 Champions League final but Bayern Munich would win 2-1.
Borussia Dortmund had not won the Bundesliga title since 2001/02 before Klopp’s squad brought it home in 2010/11. They would defend the crown, too, as part of a domestic double with the 2011/12 DFB-Pokal. While his work at the helm cemented the club’s status in UEFA’s elite competition again.
The North Rhine-Westphalia outfit opted to appoint Klopp in 2008 as he had worked wonders at FSV Mainz 05. He enjoyed seven years in charge of the Rhineland-Palatinate outfit from 2001 and guided Die Nullfunfer to promotion from 2.Bundesliga in 2004/05. It marked their first time in the top-flight.
Together, Mainz and Klopp even qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2005/06 before enduring relegation in 2006/07. Yet Klopp stuck around for another year before landing the Borussia Dortmund gig. There, he secured a win rate of 56.6% after 180 wins in 318 games with 635 goals scored to 346 conceded.
Jurgen Klopp’s coaching career
Liverpool (October 2015 – June 2026 expected)
Borussia Dortmund (July 2008 – June 2015)
FSV Mainz 05 (February 2001 – June 2008)
Jurgen Klopp’s playing career
FSV Mainz offered Klopp his big break in coaching with the club facing relegation to the third tier of German football. The move marked a return to the club for their former defender, who finished his playing career with Die Nullfunfer. Klopp also started his playing career with the club back in 1990.
Klopp’s early days saw him enjoy stints with TuS Ergenzingen, 1.FC Pforzheim, Eintracht Frankfurt II, Viktoria Sindlingen and SG Rot-Weiss Frankfurt at the amateur level. But a move to Mainz saw Klopp enjoy his professional breakthrough. He initially joined them as a semi-professional at the age of 23.
Joining Mainz saw Klopp switch position from playing as a striker to defender under Wolfgang Frank. The next decade would return 325 appearances before long-time club president Harald Strutz made the shock decision to name Klopp as their new manager having admired his leadership on the pitch.
Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
The Gegenpressing brand of football Klopp honed with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund eventually led him to become Liverpool manager in 2015. It would also see him lead the Reds back to glory after a dry few years on Merseyside. Now, the Anfield club are a title-contending force on all fronts again.
Liverpool appointed Klopp as their latest manager upon firing Rodgers with the club only 10th in the Premier League table. They would end the 2015/16 season in eighth place but have not finished any subsequent season outside of the top four. They also finished in the top two in three of the last four.
Klopp oversaw his greatest achievement as the manager of Liverpool in 2019/20, though, by guiding the club to the title. It marked the Reds’ first top-flight crown in 30 years after taking 99 points. Only Manchester City’s centurions in 2017/18 have ever claimed more during one Premier League season.
Success across Europe has also followed for Liverpool since the Merseyside outfit appointed Klopp in 2015. He guided the Anfield natives to their sixth European Cup in 2018/19 after beating Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final. They had also made the 2017/18 final but lost 3-1 to Real Madrid.
Los Blancos were again the thorn in Liverpool’s side in the 2021/22 Champions League final in a 1-0 tie. But that season still returned silverware for the Reds as Klopp added an English Football League Cup and an FA Cup winners’ medal to his cabinet after beating Chelsea on penalties in both finals.