Jürgen Klopp
2018-2019 UEFA Champions League Winner
© Xinhua News Agency/Shutterstock
After finishing as runners-up in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League final, Liverpool FC manager Jürgen Klopp made amends this year, beating Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in Madrid. The win gave the German his first trophy with Liverpool and his first Champions League title, cementing his name in the hearts and minds of the Anfield faithful.
The coaching moment to savour came in the second leg of the semi-final, when Liverpool produced, arguably, one of the best come-backs in sporting history, booking their place in the Champions League Final by thrashing Lionel Messi’s Barcelona 4-0, having been 3-0 down from the first leg. With his arms clasped around the shoulders of Virgil Van Dijk and Mo Salah, Klopp belted out the iconic ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ in harmony with the Kop, bringing the community of supporters together with the players and lifting the whole club.
In the footage, Salah is wearing a t-shirt with the words ‘never give up’ printed on; a nice synopsis of Klopp’s coaching style, which assistant manager Pepijin Lijnders said is about team building – connecting, understanding and developing people.