Jürgen Klopp

Early life and playing career

Jürgen Norbert Klopp was born on 16 June 1967 in Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Württemberg, to Elisabeth (1939–2021) and Norbert Klopp (1932–2000) a travelling salesman and a former goalkeeper. Klopp grew up in the countryside in the Black Forest village of Glatten near Freudenstadt with two older sisters. He started playing for local club SV Glatten and later TuS Ergenzingen as a junior player, with the next stint at 1. FC Pforzheim and then at three Frankfurt clubs, Eintracht Frankfurt II, Viktoria Sindlingen and Rot-Weiss Frankfurt during his adolescence. Introduced to football through his father, Klopp was a supporter of VfB Stuttgart in his youth. As a young boy, Klopp aspired to become a doctor, but he did not believe he "was ever smart enough for a medical career," saying "when they were handing out our A-Level certificates, my headmaster said to me, 'I hope it works out with football, otherwise it's not looking too good for you.'"

While playing as an amateur footballer, Klopp worked a number of part-time jobs including working at a local video rental store and loading heavy items onto lorries. In 1988, while attending the Goethe University Frankfurt, as well as playing for Eintracht Frankfurt's reserves, Klopp managed the Frankfurt D-Juniors. In the summer of 1990, Klopp was signed by Mainz 05. He spent most of his professional career in Mainz, from 1990 to 2001, with his attitude and commitment making him a fan-favourite. Originally a striker, Klopp began playing as a defender in 1995. That same year, Klopp obtained a diploma in sports science at the Goethe University of Frankfurt (MSc equivalent), writing his thesis about walking. He retired as Mainz 05's record goal scorer, registering 56 goals in total, including 52 league goals.

Klopp confessed that as a player he felt more suited to a managerial role, describing himself by saying "I had fourth-division feet and a first-division head." Recalling his trial at Eintracht Frankfurt where he played alongside Andreas Möller, Klopp described how his 19-year-old self thought, "if that's football, I'm playing a completely different game. He was world-class. I was not even class." As a player, Klopp closely followed his manager's methods on the training field as well as making weekly trips to Cologne to study under Erich Rutemöller to obtain his Football Coaching Licence.

Managerial career

Mainz 05

Upon his retirement from playing for Mainz 05, Klopp was appointed as the club's manager on 27 February 2001 following the dismissal of Eckhard Krautzun. The day after, Klopp took charge of their first match, which saw Mainz 05 secure a 1–0 home win over MSV Duisburg. Klopp went on to win six out of his first seven games in charge, eventually finishing in 14th place, avoiding relegation with one game to spare. After successfully avoiding relegation, Klopp remained head coach and appointed his former teammate Željko Buvač as his assistant—a partnership that would last 17 years, as Buvač followed Klopp as his assistant to Dortmund and FC Liverpool.

In his first full season in charge in 2001–02, Klopp guided Mainz to finish 4th in the league as he implemented his favoured pressing and counter-pressing tactics, narrowly missing promotion. Mainz again finished 4th in 2002–03, denied promotion again on the final day on goal difference. After two seasons of disappointment, Klopp led Mainz to a third-place finish in the 2003–04 season, securing promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history.

Despite having the smallest budget and the smallest stadium in the league, Mainz finished 11th in their first top-flight season in 2004–05. Klopp's side finished 11th again in 2005–06 as well as securing qualification for the 2005–06 UEFA Cup, although they were knocked out in the first round by eventual champions Sevilla. At the end of the 2006–07 season, Mainz 05 were relegated, but Klopp chose to remain with the club. However, unable to achieve promotion the next year, Klopp resigned at the end of the 2007–08 season. He finished with a record of 109 wins, 78 draws, and 83 losses.

Borussia Dortmund

In May 2008, Klopp was approached to become the new manager of Borussia Dortmund. Despite having interest from German champions Bayern Munich, Klopp eventually signed a two-year contract at the club, which had finished in a disappointing 13th place under previous manager Thomas Doll. Next to Buvač Klopp appointed Peter Krawietz as his assistant manager—just like Buvač Krawietz became a long serving assistant of Klopp, as he followed Klopp to Liverpool and Red Bull Leipzig.

Klopp's opening game as manager was on 9 August in a 3–1 DFB-Pokal victory away to Rot-Weiss Essen. In his first season, Klopp won his first trophy with the club after defeating German champions Bayern Munich to claim the 2008 German Supercup. He led the club to a sixth-place finish in his first season in charge. The next season Klopp secured European football as he led Dortmund to a fifth-place finish, despite having one of the youngest squads in the league.

After losing 2–0 to Bayer Leverkusen on the opening day of the 2010–11 Bundesliga, Klopp's Dortmund side won fourteen of their next fifteen matches to secure the top spot in the league for Christmas. They clinched the 2010–11 Bundesliga title, their seventh league title, with two games to spare on 30 April 2011, beating 1. FC Nürnberg 2–0 at home. Klopp's side were the youngest ever side to win the Bundesliga.

Klopp and his team successfully defended their title, winning the 2011–12 Bundesliga. Their total of 81 points that season was the greatest total points in Bundesliga history and the 47 points earned in the second half of the season also set a new record. Their 25 league wins equalled Bayern Munich's record, while their 28-league match unbeaten run was the best ever recorded in a single German top-flight season. Dortmund lost the 2011 DFL-Supercup against rivals Schalke 04. On 12 May 2012, Klopp sealed the club's first ever domestic double, by defeating Bayern Munich 5–2 to win the 2012 DFB-Pokal final, which he described as being "better than [he] could have imagined".

Dortmund's league form during the 2012–13 season was not as impressive as in the previous campaign, with Klopp insisting that his team would focus on the UEFA Champions League to make up for their disappointing run in that competition in the previous season. Klopp's team were drawn against Manchester City, Real Madrid and Ajax in what was described as the competition's "group of death". However, they did not lose a game, topping the group with some impressive performances. Dortmund faced José Mourinho's Real Madrid again, this time in the semi-finals. After an excellent result against them at home in the first leg, a 4–1 victory, a 2–0 loss meant Dortmund narrowly progressed to the final. On 23 April 2013, it was announced that Dortmund's crucial playmaker Mario Götze was moving on 1 July to rivals Bayern Munich after they had triggered Götze's release clause of €37 million. Klopp admitted his annoyance at the timing of the announcement of Götze's move, as it was barely 36 hours before Dortmund's Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid. Klopp later said that Dortmund had no chance of convincing Götze to stay with Dortmund, saying, "He is a Pep Guardiola favourite". Dortmund lost the final 2–1 to Bayern, with an 89th-minute goal from Arjen Robben. Dortmund finished in second place in the Bundesliga. They also lost the 2012 DFL-Supercup, and were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal in the round of 16.

Liverpool

On 8 October 2015, Klopp agreed a three-year deal to become Liverpool manager, replacing Brendan Rodgers. According to El País, Liverpool co-owner John W. Henry did not trust public opinion so he looked for a mathematical method similar to Moneyball, the approach that Henry used for Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox in guiding them to three World Series wins, which he also owns via Fenway Sports Group. The mathematical model turned out to be that of Cambridge physicist Ian Graham, which was used to select the manager, Klopp, and players essential for Liverpool to win the Champions League. In his first press conference, Klopp described his new side saying "it is not a normal club, it is a special club. I had two very special clubs with Mainz and Dortmund. It is the perfect next step for me to be here and try and help" and stating his intention to deliver trophies within four years. During his first conference, Klopp dubbed himself 'The Normal One' in a parody of José Mourinho's famous 'The Special One' statement in 2004.

Klopp's debut was a 0–0 away draw with Tottenham Hotspur on 17 October. On 28 October, Klopp secured his first win as Liverpool manager against AFC Bournemouth in the League Cup to proceed to the quarter-finals. His first Premier League win came three days later, a 3–1 away victory against Chelsea. After three 1–1 draws in the opening matches of the UEFA Europa League, Liverpool defeated Rubin Kazan 1–0 in Klopp's first win in Europe as Liverpool manager. On 6 February 2016, he missed a league match to have an appendectomy after suffering suspected appendicitis. On 28 February, Liverpool lost the 2016 League Cup final at Wembley to Manchester City on penalties. On 17 March, Liverpool progressed to the quarter-final of the Europa League by defeating Manchester United 3–1 on aggregate. On 14 April, Liverpool fought back from a 3–1 second half deficit in the second leg of their quarter-final match against his former club Dortmund to win 4–3, advancing to the semi-finals 5–4 on aggregate. On 5 May, Klopp guided Liverpool to their first European final since 2007 by beating Villarreal 3–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Europa League. In the final, Liverpool faced Sevilla, losing 3–1 with Daniel Sturridge scoring the opening goal for Liverpool in the first half. Liverpool finished the 2015–16 season in eighth place. On 8 July 2016, Klopp and his coaching staff signed six-year extensions to their deals keeping them at Liverpool until 2022. Liverpool qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2014–15 on 21 May 2017, after winning 3–0 at home against Middlesbrough and finishing fourth in the 2016–17 Premier League season.

Klopp's side finished fourth in the 2017–18 Premier League, securing qualification for the Champions League for a second consecutive season. Along with the emergence of Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold as regular starters at fullback, Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren built a strong partnership at the heart of Liverpool's defence, with the Dutchman being credited for improving Liverpool's previous defensive issues. Klopp guided Liverpool to their first Champions League final since 2007 in 2018 after a 5–1 aggregate quarter-final win against eventual Premier League champions, Manchester City and a 7–6 aggregate win over Roma in the semi-final. However, Liverpool went on to lose in the final 3–1 to Real Madrid. This was Klopp's sixth defeat in seven major finals. Despite their attacking prowess, Klopp's side had been criticised for their relatively high number of goals conceded, something which Klopp sought to improve by signing defender Virgil van Dijk in the January transfer window, for a reported fee of £75 million, a world record transfer fee for a defender. In the summer transfer window, Klopp made a number of high-profile signings including midfielders Naby Keïta and Fabinho, forward Xherdan Shaqiri and goalkeeper Alisson.

Germany

On 24 July 2026, Klopp was appointed manager of the Germany national team replacing Julian Nagelsmann. Klopp officially assumed the position on 15 August 2026, signing a contract valid until 2030.

Manager profile

Tactics

Klopp is a notable proponent of Gegenpressing, a tactic in which the team immediately attempts to win back possession after losing the ball, rather than falling back to regroup. Klopp has stated that a well-executed counter-pressing system can be more effective than any playmaker when it comes to creating chances. Commenting on his pressing tactics, Klopp said that "The best moment to win the ball is immediately after your team just lost it. The opponent is still looking for orientation where to pass the ball. He will have taken his eyes off the game to make his tackle or interception and he will have expended energy. Both make him vulnerable". The tactic requires great amounts of speed, organisation and stamina, with the idea of regaining possession of the ball as far up the pitch as possible to counter possible counter-attacks. It also requires high levels of discipline: The team must be compact to close down spaces for the opponent to thread passes through, and must learn when to stop pressing to avoid exhaustion and protect from long balls passed into the space behind the pressing defence. Despite Klopp's pressing tactics resulting in a high attacking output, his Liverpool side was criticised at times for its inability to control games and tendency to concede goals as well as score them. However, Klopp developed his tactics to incorporate more possession based football and more defensive and midfield organisation, as well as overseeing the transfers of Alisson Becker, Virgil Van Dijk, Naby Keïta and Fabinho ahead of the 2018–19 season which saw Liverpool achieve their best league start in the club's history, and equal the all-time record for the fewest goals conceded at the mid-point of a top-flight season, conceding just 7 goals and keeping 12 clean sheets.

One of Klopp's main influences is Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi, whose ideas about the closing down of space in defence and the use of zones and reference points inspired the basis of Klopp's counter-pressing tactics, as well as Wolfgang Frank, his former coach during his time as a player for Mainz from 1995 to 1997 and then 1998 to 2000. Klopp himself said "I've never met Sacchi, but I learned everything I am as a coach from him and my former coach [Frank], who took it from Sacchi".

The importance of emotion is something Klopp has underlined throughout his managerial career, saying "Tactical things are so important, you cannot win without tactical things, but the emotion makes the difference". He believes that the players should embrace their emotions, describing how "[football is] the only sport where emotion has this big of an influence". Ahead of the Merseyside derby in 2016, Klopp said "The best football is always about expression of emotion". Klopp is known for his passionate and sometimes unrestrained behavior on the touchline and in interviews during and after matches. No other coach in the history of the Bundesliga has been sent off from the technical area or fined more frequently.

Reception

Klopp is often credited with pioneering the resurgence of Gegenpressing in modern football, and is regarded by fellow professional managers and players as one of the best managers in the world. In 2016, Guardiola suggested that Klopp could be "the best manager in the world at creating teams who attack". Klopp has also received praise for building competitive teams without spending as much as many direct rivals, placing emphasis on sustainability over purely short-term success.

As well as receiving plaudits for his tactics, Klopp is also highly regarded as a motivator, with Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino saying: "He motivates us in a different way every day", and being praised by Guardiola as a "huge motivator". In 2019, the chief executive of the League Managers Association (LMA) said that Klopp had 'redefined man-management' in the modern era, and highlighted his consistency in European competitions; in Klopp's first three European campaigns with Liverpool he was undefeated over two-legged knockout ties. Klopp was described by Jonathan Wilson of The Guardian as "a hugely charismatic figure who inspires players with his personality", while Vincent Hogan of the Irish Independent writes, "Not since Bill Shankly have Liverpool had a manager of such charisma".

Klopp has gained notoriety for his enthusiastic touchline celebrations. He received criticism in 2018 for taking things 'too far' when running on to the pitch to embrace Alisson Becker to celebrate an added time winner in the Merseyside derby. Pep Guardiola spoke in defence of Klopp, saying: "I did it against Southampton. There are a lot of emotions there in those moments".

In June 2020, Manchester United's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney responded to Klopp's dismissal of the suggestion that he could emulate Alex Ferguson's success at Manchester United, saying "Klopp says it's impossible for any club to dominate like United once did, but he is wrong. [...] I think if Klopp, who is only 53, stayed at Anfield for the next ten years, Liverpool would win at least five Premier League titles. He could keep building great sides because, as I mentioned, players join clubs to work with managers as good as him."

Colleagues

Klopp worked closely with Željko Buvač as his assistant manager, from 2001 until 2018. This 17-year collaboration spanned Klopp's tenures at German football clubs Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool. Buvač, a Bosnian former professional player, was often referred to as Klopp's right-hand man, and Klopp reportedly affectionately nicknamed Buvač as "the brain", to indicate his importance in the coaching setup. Buvač left Liverpool in 2018. The reason given by the club at the time was that he was going to spend time away from the club for "personal reasons". However, there were rumours even at the time that Buvač had fallen out with Klopp, and these seemed to be confirmed shortly after with reports that Buvač had taken issue with the increasing influence of Pep Lijnders on the coaching setup.

Another member of Klopp's inner circle is Peter Krawietz (de), who was assistant manager at Liverpool. Krawietz has effectively worked with Klopp since he joined his local club Mainz 05 as a video analyst in 1996. Klopp was still a Mainz 05 player at the time, and Krawietz would have been responsible for analysing players' performances. Krawietz was promoted to the role of chief scout in 2001 under Klopp's managerial tenure, and followed him to Borussia Dortmund in 2008, and then Liverpool in 2015. If Buvač was "the brain" of Klopp's operation, Krawietz is described as Klopp's "eyes". His role has been reported to be more behind the scenes, with a focus on analysis, scouting and set-pieces. Liverpool confirmed that Krawietz would leave Liverpool at the same time as Klopp, at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Pepijn Lijnders, known as 'Pep' for short, is another of Klopp's assistant managers. Lijnders was already at Liverpool when Klopp arrived in 2015, having joined the club the year before under Brendan Rodgers as under-16s coach, and then been named first-team development coach in the summer of 2015. A Dutchman himself, he left for the Eerste Divisie in January 2018, having accepted to manage Dutch club NEC Nijmegen. He rejoined Klopp's coaching staff at Liverpool in May 2018, as assistant manager. Lijnders is more hands-on, taking an active role in training sessions and being a vocal figure on the touchline. Klopp describes him as being "a real energiser". Lijnders has also confirmed he would leave Liverpool at the same time as Klopp, to pursue his own managerial career.

Other members of Klopp's coaching team include Vitor Matos who replaced Pep Lijnders as elite development coach, as well as first-team goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, assistant goalkeeping coaches Jack Robinson and former Brazilian international goalkeeper and World Cup winner Claudio Taffarel.

Post-managerial career

In October 2024, Klopp signed with Red Bull as their new Head of Global Football. He started his new role on 1 January 2025 on a four-year contract. It was also reported his contract has an exit clause that allows him to apply for the German national job, if and when Julian Nagelsmann steps down. The move received widespread condemnation in Germany. Fans and journalists alike have criticized Klopp for joining an organisation that uses the multi-club model, something he has been critical of in the past.

On 1 October 2024, Klopp received the Federal Order of Merit from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, for his contribution to democracy and his impact on the football world and more.

He was appointed an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2025 for services to Football and the Community in Liverpool.

Outside football

Personal life

Klopp has been married twice. He was previously wedded to Sabine with whom he has a child. On 5 December 2005, Klopp married social worker and children's writer Ulla Sandrock. They met at a pub during an Oktoberfest celebration that same year. On 10 February 2021, Klopp confirmed that his mother, Elisabeth, had died; he was unable to attend her funeral in Germany due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Klopp is close friends with fellow manager David Wagner, having first met him during their playing days at Mainz. Wagner served as best man at Klopp's 2005 wedding. Klopp said of their relationship: "In 1991 someone stuck us in a room together and that was the beginning of a life-long friendship!"

Klopp is a fan of rugby union, having shown his support for the South Africa national team due to his close personal friendship with their captain Siya Kolisi.

Klopp is a Lutheran who has referred to his religious faith in media interviews, stressing its importance. He said that he turned to religion more seriously after the death of his father, who was a Catholic, from liver cancer in 1998.

Media career

In 2005, Klopp was a regular expert commentator on the German television network ZDF, analysing the Germany national team. He worked as a match analyst during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, for which he received the Deutscher Fernsehpreis for "Best Sports Show" in October 2006, as well as Euro 2008. Klopp's term came to an end after the latter competition and he was succeeded by Oliver Kahn. During the 2010 World Cup, Klopp worked with RTL alongside Günther Jauch, for which Klopp again won the award for the same category. Klopp has also appeared in the documentary films Trainer! (2013) and Und vorne hilft der liebe Gott (2016). He later worked as a television pundit for MagentaTV's coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Political views

In an interview for The Guardian in April 2018, Klopp expressed his opposition to Brexit, saying that it "makes no sense" and advocating a second referendum.

Politically, Klopp considers himself to be left-wing. He told journalist Raphael Honigstein:

I'm on the left, of course. More left than middle. I believe in the welfare state. I'm not privately insured. I would never vote for a party because they promised to lower the top tax rate. My political understanding is this: if I am doing well, I want others to do well, too. If there's something I will never do in my life it is vote for the right".

Endorsements

Klopp's popularity is used in advertisements by, among others, Puma, Opel and the German cooperative banking group Volksbanken-Raiffeisenbanken. According to Horizont, trade magazine for the German advertising industry, and the business weekly Wirtschaftswoche, Klopp's role as "brand ambassador" for Opel successfully helped the struggling carmaker to increase sales. He is also an ambassador for the German anti-racism campaign "Respekt! Kein Platz für Rassismus" ("Respect! No room for racism") and featured in a video for the song Komm hol die Pille raus by children's song author Volker Rosin to encourage young football talents. Klopp's brand ambassadorship to Deutsche Vermögensberatung (DVAG) was criticized and discredited for its business model and corporate culture by consumer advocates. He defended the DVAG and was a partner and brand ambassador for DVAG from 2015 until at least 2025. Starting in 2019, Klopp became an ambassador for Erdinger, a German brewery best known for its wheat beers. He featured in an advertising campaign for the beer, telling bartenders to "Never skim an Erdinger." After Liverpool's title win in 2020, the Brewery also produced a special limited edition series of cans featuring Klopp's face and autograph, which sold out quickly online. In 2020, Klopp signed a personal endorsement deal with Adidas, agreeing to become a brand ambassador and wearing their footwear in training sessions and future advertisements. In 2021 he appeared in an ad for Snickers. In October 2024, Trivago named Klopp as the face of their new global marketing campaign.

Managerial statistics

As of match played 19 May 2024

Honours

Mainz 05

2. Bundesliga third-place promotion: 2003–04

Borussia Dortmund

Bundesliga: 2010–11, 2011–12

DFB-Pokal: 2011–12; runner-up: 2013–14, 2014–15

DFL-Supercup: 2013, 2014

UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2012–13

Liverpool

Premier League: 2019–20

FA Cup: 2021–22

Football League Cup/EFL Cup: 2021–22, 2023–24; runner-up: 2015–16

FA Community Shield: 2022

UEFA Champions League: 2018–19; runner-up: 2017–18, 2021–22

UEFA Super Cup: 2019

FIFA Club World Cup: 2019

UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2015–16

Individual

German Football Manager of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2019

VDV Bundesliga Coach of the Season: 2010–11

Deutscher Fernsehpreis: 2006, 2010

Onze d'Or Coach of the Year: 2019

The Best FIFA Men's Coach: 2019, 2020