Transcript for:
The Journey of Jurgen Klopp

I'm thinking, Arteta, of making a new combination role. A center midfield starts in the defense, and in the attack, he turns into a winger. Amazing, Captain Pep! At the end of the attack, he becomes an imaginary forward in the mid fields between the defenders. Captain Pep, are you okay? Sorry, my pressure dropped a bit. That's not true, you're this close to putting pressure on audience! I am talking about my blood pressure! Jurgen Klopp is a very tiring opponent. I hope you're okay, Pep, honestly, Klopp is a great coach. It's not about the coaching, man, people love him in a weird way! He wins, they glorify him, we win and get higher points, and they go console him! You're right, I swear! They take the happiness out of our championships! Our championships? Are you taking advantage of my sorrows and acting, Mikael? We need a new coach, someone with a good story... Someone who could steal the spotlights from Klopp, We need a Klopp-like player. Someone who has a modest football career and always surprises people, and to be loved by his colleagues, and popular with the public. Also, it is important to have a different technique. Of course! I have what you need! I'll be back in a minute, coach. Stand there, Muhammad. Coach Pep, I got him. What do you think? What's wrong? Sit down, learn, don't be afraid. Come have a drink or two! I ask for forgiveness from the mighty Allah! But his technique is different! Yes obviously! Hello my dear viewers, welcome to a new episode of El-Daheeh We are back to you, my friend, to continue the story of Jurgen Klopp. When it was announced that Jurgen Klopp would sign with Dortmund, the initial reaction was very negative from the club's fans who thought that the club management had hired a coach who spent, no offense, most of his career in a second-tier league fighting elimination, and originally, an unknown football player almost labeled as a failure. He didn't succeed as a forward, and they hardly let him return to defense! He has no emotional stock or history with the people of the city. There were doubts from Dortmund fans. "This is the man that will bring us the glories of Hitzfeld? it's true we are penniless, but we are also Germany's Ismailis!" "They said that, Abo Hmeed?" They're the cute club among all the beasts, my friend. "We want to play for a championship!" This choice, my friend, made it clear to the fans that the club chose a coach like this to mitigate the ambitions of the fans. It's like saying the goal of the new club is merely to remain in the league. "This is something we don't like!" The leader of these protesters was the Ultras group, and the fans of its famous southern stadium. German journalist Ulrich Hesse says that once Klopp arrived at Dortmund he asked to meet the Capo of the Ultras. The leaders, like Adel Shakal and Hmeedo! This, my friend, is a strange thing, which is not usually done by a technical director. Especially, in a country like Germany, known for its strictness and seriousness. But a date was really decided between Klopp and the Capos. That day, my friend, one of them was late, because the streets was crowded. So he told them, "Apologized on my behalf and started the meeting without me." Then, my friend, one minute later, his mobile was ringing. Klopp called him on his mobile phone and said, "Don't worry, man. Take your time, and we'll start when you arrive." In the meeting, my friend, Klopp said, that his ambition is the same as theirs. His goal is to get Dortmund back to the winner board, which required work, time, and cooperation from all of them. At that time, my friend, the impression of the club's fans changed after this, that meeting changed them 180 degrees. They became like the Mainz fans, believing in him. Another situation told by one of the security officers in Dortmund; that during the first months of Klopp's management of the team, they said in front of him by coincidence that the officer's grandmother's 90th birthday was approaching and to that day she was still supporting and cheering for Dortmund. Klopp said, "I want to call her on her birthday." The man smiled at him, and just thought he was being the nice cute coach who was just giving out compliments to get him of his back, only to appear humble and with a nice attitude. But he was surprised on his grandmother's birthday that Klopp remembered. He called her on the phone, and took the address from he to send her flowers. He said to her, "Happy birthday, dear" and sang to her the song and all that. They're details, my friend, that may seem nice and ordinary, but when you think that someone like this could take interest in the club's security and his grandmother who would turn 90 years old. Then count how many players, assistants, and administrators, and the rest of the club workers with whom he has formed relationships, relationships with genuine interest. Only then, my friend, you will realize that this is an extraordinary talent. - "Abo Hmeed, did Apple pay you?"

  • Why, my friend? "I feel like you are summarizing Ted Lasso me, Why, Abo Hmeed? tell me the story of a coach who will win championships eventually, why do we hear the stories behind these events?" The idea, my friend, is with this level of interest, the players feel that the manager cares about them as human beings, not like machines that carry out his orders. This is always an important element in the career of great coaches. Especially, the Old School ones, like Sir Alex Ferguson, of course, or Carlo Ancelotti, or even Jose Mourinho. Klopp is one of the most important names on this list. When he signed a new player, for example, he took him out to dinner, asking him about his life and making sure he and his family were taken care of. "Are you comfortable in the new house you are staying in in this city?" He even asked him about the availability of the food he liked in the city. He talked to him about anything in the world except football. This interest, my friend, sometimes in some players, translates to trusting the coach, because he sees you as a human being, not like a machine that scores goals and assists with a specific times in a match. When he tells you that you can run 12 kilos instead of 10 kilos in the match, you will believe it and run 13 kilometers too, to be up to his human confidence before his football confidence. And maybe, my friend, this secret is what makes Jurgen Klopp able to shape the best versions of these underdog players! It is difficult to imagine great players like Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane to be Ballon d'Or contenders, and to be close so many times to being the best players in the world, except with a coach like Jurgen Klopp. This was confirmed by Roman Weidenfelle, captain and goalkeeper of the Dortmund team in 2008, and for years afterward too, he said that the atmosphere of confidence and enthusiasm has changed with the presence of Jurgen Klopp. This man had a strange ability to raise their ambitions and capabilities without putting any pressure on them. Indeed, my friend, Klopp achieved a new miracle where in the 2010/2011 season, he won the Bundesliga from the heart of Bayern Munich, that slanderous monster controlling the Bundesliga! "They were hijacking it! we are fighting a country, man!" In 3 years, my friend, Jurgen Klopp has succeeded in taking on a bankrupt team that borrows from his worst enemy to pay his players and its greatest ambition was to be the safe area and not eliminated, to becoming the champion of Germany! He succeeded in forming a strong football team. His strength may be much greater than the sum of his individuals. True, my friend, there were very talented players among them, he is the one who discovered them, or the one who restored their self-confidence; like Mats Hummels, for example, who was let go from Bayern Munich, or Gundogan, who later left for City, and Marco Reus and Kagawa, or the unknown Polish striker he brought in 2011 who became one of Europe's most important strikers, Robert Lewandowski. Or the emerging gem Mario Gotze, whom the German public saw under the leadership of Klopp, they considered him at that time the German version of Messi. But next to these players, there were other ones whom you may not have even heard of them, such as Subotic, Bender, Schmelzer, and Piszczek These players, my friend, if you look at them as an expert in football, you will discover that their capabilities are much lower than the level of the team that won the German League. But as usual, Klopp was able to compensate for the difference in capabilities with confidence, effort, and heart. In the 2011/2012 season, he managed to reach the pinnacle of local success, when he won the league and cup double for the first time in Dortmund's history, after it defeated Bayern Munich in the German Cup final 5-2. "What is this, Abo Hmeed? this was on National TV in front of people like this?" Yes! Let me tell you the shocker, my friend. "Is there anything more shocking, Abo Hmeed?" Bayern, my friend, was not at its weakest in history, there was Franck Ribery and Robben R2, Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller, Neuer, and 3 quarters of the German team that won the World Cup! This Bayern team, my friend, in the same year, reached the European Champions League final, then lost it on penalties to Chelsea. Only one week before that, this monster team had Jurgen Klopp defeat it to the crumbs in the cup finale. "Abo Hmeed, you distorted my image of football!" Also when he appeared at a press conference, and was asked about this historical result he said mischievously and proudly, "I believe we could've scored more goals." "He fried them!" This historical local brilliance made everyone's ambition soar and their eyes turn to Europe. It was not difficult this time for everyone to believe when Klopp tells them, "We can." But, my friend, the wind brings what the lottery does not desire! Borussia Dortmund's ambition collided with the group of death in Europe in the 2012/2013 season which had 4 champions in their respective leagues. Borussia Dortmund, champion of Germany, Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho, who won the Spanish League by 100 points, Ajax Amsterdam, champion of the Netherlands, and Manchester City, which had just won the English Premier League with the famous Aguero goal; the goal that came in the last minute and won them the Premier League and caused a stroke that lasted 30 years for all Manchester United fans! But, my friend, what happened was contrary to all expectations. Dortmund topped the group, and did not lose any match. It got 14 points out of 18. After that, it was easily qualified for the round of 16 after it won Ukrainian Shakhtar with score 5 to 2. After that, it met Malaga in the round of 8; a very strong team under the leadership of coach Pellegrini. In the away match, they tied 0-0 in Spain. The dream of reaching the historic semi-finals was close. It was only 90 minutes away at Signal Iduna Park. But 90 minutes wasn't enough. Dortmund was behind 2 to 1, until the last 3 minutes in the match. "Oh, Abo Hmeed! I thought it was over!" It's like the last 3 minutes of El-Daheeh, something always happens. The match, my friend, ended 3-2 for Dortmund. "An unexpected surprise, Abo Hmeed!" The same 3 minutes 10 years ago, were the ones who prevented Klopp from qualifying to the Bundesliga after Frankfurt scored 2 goals in the last 30 seconds! This time, the 3 minutes were in his favour and on his side, only for Borussia Dortmund to be qualified in the 93rd minute for the Champions League semi final. On April 24th 2013, we were on the verge of a new defining moment in the history of Jurgen Klopp. It's when Real Madrid in its version that included Ronaldo, Higuain, Ramos, Xabi, Ozil, Modric, and Benzema, in a battalion led by Jose Mourinho, heading to Signal Iduna Park, A match, my friend, the audience expected that it would be easy for Real Madrid. "Don't take this the wrong way, Dortmund people, but you defeated Malaga at the last second, and with all due respect to Malaga; its people and its officials, but they're nothing next to Real Madrid." "So what, Abo Hmeed? don't underestimate them, Klopp won in the group stage, don't underestimate." Dear nice viewer, the semi-final is different. The knockout game is an exception, and you know Real Madrid well, it'd be pressured all match till the end then plays the hero card and wins! Indeed, the semi-final was different. Because the world was shocked after 66 minutes of the match when Lewandowski scored the fourth goal for Dortmund! "What? he scored 4 goals against Real Madrid?" Lewandowski scored a super hat-trick defeating Real Madrid 4 to 1. That night, my friend, is not historic in the life of Jurgen Klopp because he made Dortmund in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Although they lost the home match in Madrid 2-0, they qualified for the final. But that night was historic because it was the first time Jurgen Klopp's name was mentioned head-on with Mourinho, and Pep Guardiola as well! Football, my friend, had been changing skins for a few years, We were entering a new era of data and more complex tactical forms. Each player was required to take 8 roles on the field, and the goalkeeper was still required to make games, tonight! Thee poles who always competed during these years, were Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, their competition in the Spanish League with Barcelona and Madrid, the old friendship between them, which later turned into a conflict, the forward plays and possessions, against defense and free kicks, and of course they had the rivals of the century, Messi and Ronaldo, who contributed to making this conflict legendary. That year, Klopp established himself for the first time as part of the football equation and its coming years, here a third possibility appeared in the world: he's neither a chosen person supported by Cruyff himself, like what happened with Guardiola, nor is he the special one, the charismatic one who makes fiery statements as Mourinho presented himself from the first second! At that time, Jurgen Klopp appeared as someone trying to improve, he fell and got up, made mistakes and amends. He won sometimes, and lost a lot. He was like us, a normal person. He was not a historic football player, nor was he supervised by a historic coach, nor was he playing with historical players, not even a legend in their house! On the contrary, he himself said that he is exactly like us, and "If he did it, you can do it too." Even when he was shocked by the departure of his most important player, and his son whom he discovered and raised, Mario Götze, who signed for Bayern Munich one week before the Champions League final! "What a shame!" It was a moment when Klopp felt that he was going to have a heart attack when he knew what Mario Gotze had done. Even when he lost the final, with Arjen Robben's goal in the 89 minute, and the dream of the Champions League was gone, he still stood at the press conference in a lighthearted manner and said, "There was nothing better that could have happened, maybe, if Götze had played, we would have won, but what will we do? wants to train with Guardiola, and I can't be 20cm shorter and have no hair!" [GUARDIOLA] "This is bullying, and I will not accept it!" Klopp said, "Let us see how we will deal next year after Götze left." Jurgen Klopp's statements were filled with bitterness. But as usual, there was some hope in them. It was also the beginning of a historic football conflict that continued from that moment until today, a conflict between Klopp and Guardiola. After his historic period with Barcelona, he went to coach Bayern Munich with one goal in mind, to take over European football and be on top of them all! Jurgen Klopp was not an easy local opponent, on the contrary, from the very first minute, their matches were 'Classicos', but at the end of the day, their power wasn't balanced! "That's right, Abo Hmeed, they took Mario Gotze from him!" Did I not tell you, my friend? The following season, they also took Lewandowski. In just 6 months, Bayern took two of Borussia's most important players! [GUARDIOLA]: "See how can short and bald people play dirty?" Despite all this, Klopp kept trying over and over, he built the team again from scratch. He brought Aubameyang from God knows where, and Mkhitaryan also from God knows where, as usual, he brings unknown players whom aren't known by many. He is the one who believes in them and develops them. Indeed, Jurgen Klopp kept competing, in the first 11 matches of the 2013/2014 season he had 9 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. It was the best opening for Dortmund in the league in its entire history! However, it was in second place, behind Bayern Munich. Because Guardiola won 9 matches, drew 2 matches, and did not lose. At the press conference, before they play against each other, Klopp was asked about the competition with Bayern this season. He responded with a sentence that could speak for the 10 following seasons where Guardiola and Klopp competed between Germany and England, Klopp said, "We have a bow and arrow, if we aim well, we will succeed. The only problem is that our opponent has an RPG, if he aimed wrong, we'll all fall!" Then he was silent for a few seconds and gathered his strength that he acquired from the times he fell and got back up, then completed his sentence and said, "But I think, if Robin Hood was successful, we can succeed too." Robin Hood is the brave folkloric character who walks with a bow and arrow fights the rich, so that there is hope for the poor to live, sometimes he succeeds, sometimes he fails, but he always tries. This is Jurgen Klopp's character, or at least, the character he saw himself as. And specifically because of this character, along with Jurgen Klopp's decision to leave Dortmund at the end of the 2015 season, as he said at the time, "The experiment is over, and the club needs a change, that's why I have to leave." There was a certain club, everyone was thinking that he fits them and they fit him. When he left Dortmund, it was a historic and touching farewell, after 7 years that passed on Dortmund fans like a beautiful dream. Hundreds of thousands stood inside and outside Signal Iduna Park to bid farewell to their coach who took them from earth to heaven. He, my friend, was thinking that he would at least stop coaching for a year. But there was this one club, if they called him, he'd call of the hiatus and go. By coincidence, it was the same club where every football fan wanted him to go to. Indeed, my friend, in October 2015, the English club Liverpool announced that its new coach will be Jurgen Klopp. In a beautiful book called, "Klopp..My Liverpool Romance", written by Anthony Quinn as a fan of the club, he writes, my friend, his memories of Klopp and his long relationship with him, and his obsession with him before and after he trained his team. In a part of the book, Quinn reviews part of his diary, written on October 9, one day after Jurgen Klopp signed with Liverpool. He talks about his enthusiasm for the presence of this man to the point that his wife said to him, "Keep your cool, please, it seems as if you have a crush on him, I believe I married you a heterosexual, and I don't fully trust you since I caught you with magazine photos of Arsene Wenger!" The truth, my friend, is that he didn't deny it, but told her the truth. "I already have Crush on Jurgen Klopp, and I have daydreams, about practicing with him among the players, and at the end of practice, he approaches me, extends his hand, and greets me, and says, (Nice!)" Aside from Quinn's exaggerations, he used to say that had this dream for years, hoping that Klopp would be the next Liverpool coach. And when he saw him in the first press conference, he was exactly as he had imagined; confident, humble, intelligent, and light-hearted! He felt that he was the person he had been waiting for all his life. This press conference that Quinn was talking about was truly historic. A journalist told Klopp that when Mourinho arrived in England, he told them, "I am the special one." "How do you describe yourself, Klopp?" Klopp said, "I am an ordinary person, if someone in this room thinks I can create miracles, I would like to tell him that this will never happen, I'm a completely normal person, (I'm the normal one), If something is going to happen, it will happen with all of us together, all I can hope for is that I can enjoy my work here." If you look into these words and think, does Klopp really believe he is an ordinary person? The truth is, my friend, I ponder these words a lot and think, does Klopp really believe he is an ordinary person? Was he not aware that at that moment he was one of the most important football coaches? And in a world created by Jose Mourinho, built on constant beefing, conflict, and ridicule, and the 'Respect, respect, respect!", someone actually came out and said "I'm an ordinary person?" I imagine that Klopp knows from his work and achievements he made and the experience he accumulated over the years, and the talent of instilling hope he has, these are all not of an ordinary person! But at the same time, what he wants to say to his fans and his players, and he says to you too, that there are no supernatural powers involved, there is no magic or miracles, "All I do is try to develop myself." It is very easy for people to believe that there is a savior, but it is difficult for them to believe in themselves and their ability to act. This is exactly what Jurgen Klopp needed to develop. This is his magic that happened over the course of 9 years after that, years that aren't that distant and exist in all of our memories. As Klopp said in the same historic conference, "It doesn't matter how people think about you when you walk through the door, what really matters is how they will remember you as you walk out the door." "He got them!" Let's think about how the football fans in general, and Liverpool fans in particular will all remember Klopp after these 9 years. I think, my friend, it is something impossible to express in numbers. These cold, dry, and boring numbers will tell you that he won a league and a champions league, and some cups, the numbers can also tell you that he reached the Champions League final 3 times, he lost twice to the same club in a strange way! The numbers also say that he lost the English Premier League twice on the last day of the season, first time with 97 points, and second time with 92 points! This, my friend, is not only the highest points achieved by a team without winning the championship, but this statistic doesn't remind you of anything? It's exactly what happened in Mainz. But these points can make you the champion in 28 editions out of 32 seasons they played in the Premier League. All these numbers, my friend, do not necessarily have any significance in the personal journey. But, my friend, let me tell you that these numbers do not necessarily express Club's journey completely. It's true, my friend, that they're great numbers, but if you hyper-focus on them, you will miss the whole meaning Klopp said. Because what the football fans will remember about Klopp as he walks out the door, is enthusiasm, hope, and feelings. We will remember his picture as he enters Anfield for the first time, pointing at the club's logo and smiling! The hope he created by simply existing. Mohamed Salah's first season, which was like a dream, Salah, my friend, was an ordinary person. He used to take 5 buses to go from Nagrig to Al-Mokawloon club. Just how many years ago? Zamalek SC, my friend, rejected him in order to please Mahmoud Qatta. Now, Mohamed Salah's name is be placed next to Ronaldo and Messi, head-on, competing with them over who is the best player in the world. We will think of Jurgen Klopp with someone like Arnold, the young player whom he trusted and brought on, and the player whom he brought from Hull City, Robertson, those who became the best right and left defenders in the world! How did Klopp transform the trio of Mane, Firmino, and Salah whom he brought -in the football language- with little money, he turned them into a forward trio that is compared to historical trios, like the RBG; Ronaldo, Benzema, and Gareth Bale, or the MSN; Messi, Suarez, and Neymar! We will remember the mockery of his defense in his first seasons, and how the Robin Hood thing became a joke against him. He used to defeat the big teams and lose to the small ones, it's like aiming to achieve social justice in the Premier League. And how he was determined on a player like Virgil van Dijk, Klopp saw he can give Dijk the jump he needs, and when it was Big Virgil time, the results appeared immediately as the team reached the Champions League final in 2018. We will remember the 2018 final very well, Salah's broken shoulder, and Karius' two mistakes. But we will remember more the video of Klopp dancing at the end of the night with the team's audience and singing, "We saw the European Cup, Madrid had all the luck!" Literally, that's what he was singing. Of course, we will remember a year later after this moment in a come-back winning the Champions League and took back the cup to Liverpool. On the way, he worked a miracle, probably the biggest miracle in his history, when, on a historic night, they defeated Barcelona 4-0. a rare night in which all hope triumphed, and all striving was achieved. The COVID League and its 99 points, and the bad season after that, after injuries paralyzed the team, but despite this, there were still miraculous moments, magical ones! For when Alisson Becker, the goalkeeper, scored a goal last minute for Liverpool against West Brom only for Liverpool to qualify for the Champions League! It was the Champions League season they barely qualified for! But a year later, they were qualified for the final again, and lost to Madrid again! 6 days before that, they lost the league to City in the last round again! Also, Klopp was able to come out and say, "We will come back next year." He spoke with great confidence for the first time about his extraordinary talent, He said, "I may not be the best coach in the world, I don't think about myself like that at least, but if there is someone in the world who can dance after a few hours of losing, and believes that we will win again, it's me!" Indeed, Klopp returns the next season, falling down and losing, and the year after goes back to building and dreaming with hopes! Look how many times he lost his dream last minute of the last match of the season! How many times did he believe again and managed to have a come-back! How many times did he believe and didn't have a come-back! This trip happened a few times in the 23 years he coached football! Maybe we, as followers or fans of football now, or even later, how do we evaluate all of this? Can any championships or numbers achieved speak in any way about that journey? When Jurgen Klopp announced that he was leaving Liverpool after 9 years, he left it a strong team, standing on his feet, able to compete in the league until its last breath! He left the fans with hope in their hearts, as the famous Liverpool song says, "You'll Never Walk Alone." This, my friend, is the legacy that is more important than the numbers. This is exactly what Jurgen Klopp meant. This is exactly what he did throughout his career. Of course, my friend, no one would hate sleeping happy, satisfied, victorious, and photographed on the coronation podiums! It is likely that after all the hugs he gave to the player and the fans, and after all the dancing, singing, and smiles he distributed, that "We will come back next year", it is possible that all that with every loss hides intense frustration where he asks himself, "When will I do it? When will the ball be in my goal?" But what is certain is that after Klopp's journeys, he goes back to principles, and that after 9 months of competition, dreaming, hope, and human relations are much more important than the 90 minutes in the end to tell us whether we succeeded or failed. 90 minutes is a fragile thing, that may change for any reason or circumstance. Jurgen Klopp's message has always revolved around ability, about the 1% possibility that we are afraid to think about, that we can do it, and we can do it no matter being told, "It is impossible."! Klopp took this human resources speech that we all make fun of now being frequently repeated and disconnected from reality, and he turned it into work and achievements! He embodied the possibility into flesh, blood and humans running every week in the field! He turned some guys from the suburbs into international stars! He took everything he could from the fan's throats and loud voices! Jurgen Klopp made everyone believe! It is as if Jurgen Klopp's big message in football and in the world in general is parallel to the words of the poet "Fouad Haddad": "Live as you can, don't think of death and its games, or the games of its brother, the impossible, if hope is stingy, despair is penurious" This is the meaning Klopp expressed with a sentence he said before Liverpool's come-back match against Barcelona, when he lost 3-0 in the away match, he said, This, my friend, is an invite to you to keep trying to succeed, excellent! Great! But if you can't, try to fail in the most beautiful way possible. That's all my friend, last but not least, don't forget to watch the old episodes and the new ones, check the sources below, and subscribe if you're on YouTube. Despite all the sad moments in Jurgen Klopp's life, I can't understand how he got over the fact that once he didn't win Premier League because a tiny part of ball did not cross the goal line! He lost it for centimeters!