Jürgen Klopp, From Mainz to Merseyside
June 13, 2019In a managerial career that spans seventeen-years, German-born Liverpool skipper Jürgen Klopp has composed a career that many would consider astonishing.
Before he had come to know success with larger clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, back in 2001, Klopp found himself freshly appointed to 2.Bundesliga side FSV Mainz 05, with expectations of bringing promotion to a team that had never before reached the upper rung of German soccer.
It was a task befit for the ambitious and uncompromising young manager, who had dreams of bringing the team he had spent most of his playing career with to the Bundesliga. However, in his first two seasons as skipper, both, while very promising, ended with heartbreak as his side was stopped by the slimmest of margins on the final days of each campaign.
His eventual breakthrough with Mainz would come in 2004, as he secured the long-awaited dream of reaching the Bundesliga for the very first time in the clubs history. For two seasons, he would lead Mainz to mid-table finishes, along with qualification for the 2005-06 UEFA Europa League competition. Unfortunately, in his third season, his squad would succumb to relegation at the end of the 2006-08 Bundesliga season.
The following season, Klopp would fail to achieve promotion back to the Bundesliga with Mainz, as his career would take a winding turn to Borussia Dortmund, a well-known Bundesliga side, who have a storied history of trophies and players. During his tenure with BVB, Klopp would cement himself as one of the worlds top up-and-coming managers, with two back-to-back Bundesliga titles, and a UEFA Champions League final appearance. At the end of the 2014-15 season, Klopp would step away from the club, before re-joining the coaching world with Premier League side Liverpool, in October of 2015.
Klopp signed on to a Liverpool squad who had severely regressed under the tenure of former manager Brendan Rodgers, despite the fact that Rodgers brought Liverpool to a 2nd place finish in the 2013-14 Premier League season. Following this miracle season, Rodgers would finish 6th in the 2014-15 season, only to be let go half way through the 2015-16 campaign, unable to replicate his form of previous years.
Upon taking over, Klopp immediately would attempt to implement his positive gegenpressing style, a relentless, fast-paced system which forced his squad to instantly push for the ball upon losing it, as opposed to falling back and regrouping. Accompanied by an attacking 4-3-3 formation, this gegenpress system was something that the Premier League had never truly seen before.
Looking back on the appointment of Klopp, especially now with a total of 1,341 days serving as manager, it is fair to say that his tactics and overall approach to the game have brought the Reds back to an elite tier in the Premier League. This past season, Klopp led Liverpool to a 2nd place finish, and defeated fellow Premier League adversary Tottenham Hotspurs in the UEFA Champions League Final, proving to be the crowning achievement on an already fantastic campaign. Now, with a few seasons under his belt, he has accumulated an overall record of 119-52-37.
His tactical prowess and the evolution of his attacking 4-3-3 style of soccer, have proven to be key in his advancement as one of the worlds leading managerial minds.
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