Jürgen Klopp on the Premier League trophy lift: 'I'll be proud of what we did together'

Liverpool will finally get their hands on the top-flight crown on Wednesday night, having been confirmed as champions with seven games to go. 

Klopp and his squad have had to wait nearly a month to receive the prize, but that moment arrives following the conclusion of their penultimate league fixture of the season against Chelsea at Anfield.

The boss looked ahead to the post-match celebrations during a press conference on Tuesday. Read on below to see what we had to say... 

On his emotions when Henderson lifts the trophy... 

I don't know yet obviously but I try to be prepared for it, kind of. It's, for me, really difficult, it's quite a challenge. There's a football game, a very important football game, before that but I cannot and don't want to ignore that after that football game, whatever happens, there will be a trophy lift tomorrow night. The boys worked so hard for it and everybody in this club worked so hard for it, so in the stadium it should be as good as anyhow possible. I will not disturb that, for sure not. I will be in best spirits. On a professional basis, it's 100 per cent one of the greatest days of my life, 100 per cent, to finally get our hands on this trophy, [which] everybody was waiting so long for. I think two or three years ago, nobody thought it would be possible for us, especially with all the challenges we faced and the challenges we have and the competitors we have. I will be proud, I think, of the boys and all what we did together in this club. It's a milestone, 100 per cent, and as such we should see it. It's an important day, a very important day, but not the last very important day for us. But we will be in a very good spirit, 100 per cent.

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On whether the trophy lift could be a distraction for the Chelsea game itself...

It's a big challenge. The only thing I really experienced in this department, if you want, is when Pep Guardiola was at Bayern Munich. We obviously became second quite frequently with Dortmund and they had exactly the same problem. It was always the same: they were really dominating the league and from the specific point of being champions, from that moment on they lost some games, which didn't happen before. They struggled then with a really good team, even in the Champions League, because for them there was nothing to really go for in this moment. I'm really happy with how we showed up... because what I saw, it was nothing obvious, it was not that the boys lost focus here or there. There were little things, which you could see in the last game. We were the clear better side against Arsenal, it was a really, really good game from us and we lost it for obvious reasons, that's how it is. I don't have an answer for that, I only can say that we tried everything. We didn't prepare the two things, we prepared one thing. We prepared the game and that's what we still do. Everything will be like always and then we have to go out there. But in sports and in life, the only thing what you can do always is that you make the first step before the second step. The first step is the game and that's it. But it will not be then, in the end, influential on whatever because after that we get the trophy for an outstanding season, that's how it is. I'm not willing to make that smaller because I don't put now extra pressure on the boys, 'This will be different'. They all know, they are old enough, they all know it's more fun if you win the game.

But again, there's a proper challenge there. The Premier League thought, 'Make it a bit more tricky, give them Chelsea.' Chelsea has here this kind of history that they were around when last time it didn't happen, with Jose on the sideline. That's probably not part of the best memories here in the club. If we want, we can try to strike back for that. I'm not sure how many of my team were in the team that time, but it's the situation. Look, I don't have to create some special scenarios or whatever, you know it will be difficult. Probably you think now in this moment Chelsea will win the game and Liverpool will have the trophy lift anyway afterwards. I don't think we will lose the game, I think we will be in a proper, proper mood for the game as well. But like always, whatever I say here, we have to show it on the pitch and not now in this press conference. We can talk about it, that will not change anything for the game. Hopefully the things I tell the players will change a few things or put them right. I trust them 100 per cent, I trust myself 100 per cent because I know that I'm completely in the competition mood and the boys are that as well. But it's not as [if] nothing would happen around the game. So, we know that and that's something we cannot ignore. But we have to put the blinkers on.

On what it's been like since Liverpool were confirmed as champions on June 25...

It's obviously different because the decision was made that night, so it was clear from that moment on. But that it will happen in general this season, we were not too surprised. But how could I know how influential it will be on myself before you have it? Tomorrow is different. We are now champions already for a month or so but it's not about that, it's really about what we all do. It's a little bit like Christmas if you know already you get a specific present before you have it – there's still some excitement! We are very excited about that. I never touched the Premier League for obvious reasons ever before, that will be special. I'm absolutely delighted that the boys have this moment because they deserve it more than anybody else. They deserve it because they work incredibly hard, they dealt with so many setbacks in the last few years. We won the title this season but we prepared already since two or three years. So it was a really long run-up to this moment and it will be 100 per cent emotional again. How emotional? I don't know because that's how it is with emotions – you have to wait until you feel them.

On the involvement of Sir Kenny Dalglish in Liverpool's trophy presentation…

It's great, absolutely great. Directly after the game, when we became champions and when we were there in the hotel and we had all the different duties to do and to fulfil, then you saw Kenny and Graeme Souness sitting there in the studio, wherever they were, and how much it meant to them as well was just really nice to see. This club touches you, gets you and even if you wanted I don't think you could ever get rid of it. This club is so big and so emotional, you stay together forever pretty much. And I'm really happy that Kenny will be around. I said it that night – he deserves it. The best nickname in the world – the most deserved nickname probably ever – King Kenny will be in the stadium, will be exactly there where he has to be when Liverpool win something. And I'm really happy about that. As happy as I was – really, I mean it – for Steven Gerrard. We exchanged some messages anyway through the lockdown, but after that as well. It means so much to him, it means so much to Carra and all these guys, only as examples for all the players in the past who tried it so hard. They know exactly what this team did, they know exactly how big the pressure can feel when you are close to it. And the boys, my boys now, they dealt sensationally well with it. I'm happy they recognise it and as much my team recognise exactly how much it means to them – that generation of players – because they were outstanding as well and they have a massive, massive Liverpool heart. So it's for all of them as well.

On how mindful he and the players will be of the fans when they lift the trophy…

I really hope our fans know that we mean it when we say: it's for you. It's 100 per cent for you. The best example is that we won this league – OK we had not enough points until then – but we won this league before lockdown, we brought it over the line after lockdown. I'm really happy with what the boys did, not happy with all the results but what the boys did, I'm really happy; that shows me there's a massive basis and a good chance that we will stay a really, really good football team. But that should show everybody that together we can do anything, if we really stick together we can do anything. That's exactly what happened in the last three years, since I'm in actually I always felt a massive support. I can understand it's a tricky situation, I really can understand.

Probably people will say now after what happened at Leeds – which is a big success as well, congratulations to them – how the pictures looked. We all sit there and look at it and think, 'Wow, that's strange now.' You don't want to say it's completely wrong but it is wrong – we're all human beings, it is wrong, it was not right. And we cannot make an excuse for one wrong thing with another wrong thing, we cannot say, 'They did it, so we do it.' That's not how we can do it. The situation is really, really different to all situations we ever faced, longer back than 30 years. [Than] we ever faced.

Again, I promise we will have this party, which everybody deserves, at an appropriate time – pretty much the first possibility we will use to do exactly what everybody deserves. But we can do it only if everybody behaves appropriately. That's how it is. In the stadium we are in a safe place. So watch the pictures, that will be as emotional as possible, that's much more possible than it was before. Three months ago nobody would have thought it was possible. Now we know it's possible, now we have it, now we should really do the right thing again. I only can ask you for exactly that. I understand, it's a personal challenge. But we had more and we had bigger challenges in the past with this club, 100 per cent. This time we are really prepared for that. So, stay at home, celebrate there in a safe place with your families, and a second household or whatever. And keep it in your mind that we will be together, all together, when it's possible again.