'The atmosphere around this club is how football should be'
Jürgen Klopp has opened up on his decision to cut his sabbatical short to join Liverpool 11 months ago, with the manager explaining: 'I fell in love.'
The German arrived on Merseyside last October, just a few months after leaving Borussia Dortmund following a hugely successful seven-year stint in charge of the Bundesliga club.
Klopp had intended to take an extended break from management to recharge his batteries, but simply could not resist the temptation of taking the reins at Anfield.
“It wasn’t a big decision for me. It was the only club that could have broken up my holiday,” the boss told the Daily Mail.
“I had enough offers, I was saying: ‘No, no, sorry, not now…’, and then came Liverpool. And I know how this sounds, and what people will say, but I fell in love.
“I felt responsible really quickly. It’s like if you are in my inner circle, my family, my friends. I felt Liverpool was both: family and friends.”
So what exactly made Klopp feel such an immediate connection with Liverpool?
“We can start with the colour. Then the stadium, the people in this club,” he added.
“Without being the most confident person in the world, I think I am the right person for Liverpool.
“I can’t score goals and I can’t make saves. I am not saying I am the best manager in the world, either. But I’m quite good and I am one of those managers who is really interested in structure.
“I don’t sleep too long. Here is a moment when the club needs consistency in this chair - they need the right person and I am the right person, because most of the time I am really serious, but normal.
“I am not saying there was no-one else around. The club would have found another manager and I would have found another job. But I liked this club before I came here.
“The atmosphere around this club is how football should be.”