Klopp: Google 'European nights' and the answer is Anfield

Jürgen Klopp hailed Liverpool's collective journey to the Champions League final as he targeted the 'best possible end' when his team take on Real Madrid in Kiev.

Backed by the power of Anfield, the Reds have made an emphatic and thrilling return to Europe’s top table this term which has brought them all the way to the showpiece match this Saturday night.

With just five days to go until Klopp’s men face the holders, excitement is growing proportionately around the city – and the manager feels the positive mood is just reward for all concerned.

Asked about the atmosphere in Liverpool at a media conference, he said: “I love that, I really love that – it’s great.

“A lot of things happened since I came in, to be honest, but the biggest change was how the people changed in the case of how much they like the actual team. It’s long ago that really not a lot of people talk about having another player in the line-up: if we would have, if we would have this or that.

“That’s what I feel in the moment and that’s really nice. But the boys deserved it. It was an exceptional season; it always could be better but it was really good and a big step in comparison with last year.

“And then going to the final, we all enjoyed these moments together. The home crowd was really good and European nights special. If you had Wikipedia or Google and put in ‘European nights’ the answer must be: Anfield. That’s really cool, being part of that. And even at the away games it was outstanding.

“Meanwhile, I know after two-and-a-half years, I know us well enough – and with a little bit of the Liverpool soul, in the moment the weather is good and everything is positive – but until Saturday it will be up and down, feeling-wise. No problem with that. That’s all part of the deal and all something we have to go through. And then we play a football game.

“As a unit we are pretty good. I love that fact. Let’s give it a try.”

The battle for a top-four place in the Premier League continued until the final day of the season but Liverpool successfully warded off a late surge from Chelsea by beating Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0.

Soon after, Klopp and his players departed Merseyside for a four-day training camp in Marbella, where ‘recharging the batteries’ was top of the agenda.

Now back at base, the Reds will spend the entirety of this week putting themselves in the best position to defeat Zinedine Zidane’s reigning Champions League holders.

“[It’s a] very good moment for the club, for us and for the boys because we finished the season in the best way we could, that felt really good,” said the German.

“Then having the time we had now to prepare the game was really, really good. We could do a lot of things and we didn’t have to rush it in two or three sessions.

“The boys could recover and we could do a lot of good things in training already. Today, because you [the media] were all here we only did a little athletic session – stabilisation and stuff like that.

“But from tomorrow on we have again three more sessions which are very important and we’re looking forward to that. Then we will be best prepared for the game.

“I don’t want to talk about confidence or something like that. We feel really good and we think we deserve where we are because the boys really showed up in all different games. It was a very exciting journey so far and now we want to bring it to the best possible end.”

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