Feature'We have to say thanks to him' - Jürgen Klopp through the eyes of his rivals

The German’s remarkable, near-nine-year journey at the Reds’ helm began on this day 10 years ago, when it was officially announced that he had been appointed as Brendan Rodgers’ successor.

So many magical moments followed on and off the pitch as Klopp restored the club to the heights of the game, with a raft of major honours won under his leadership including the Champions League in 2019 and a long-awaited Premier League title 12 months later.

He said an emotional farewell to Merseyside last May, passing the baton on to current head coach Arne Slot in typically generous fashion as he delivered his goodbyes to a place that had become home.

Tributes to Klopp’s tenure came from far and wide, including through the eyes of many of the tacticians he pitted his wits against from the dugout, and others who analysed from outside, throughout the years at Liverpool.

To mark the decade anniversary of Klopp’s arrival, read a selection of those below...

Pep Guardiola

Having previously faced off in Germany at the helms of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the head-to-head between Guardiola and Klopp transferred to the Premier League when the former followed the latter to English football by taking the reins of Manchester City in 2016. And for much of the years that followed, their sides tussled relentlessly – and with scintillatingly high quality – for prizes in title races and cup competitions.

“Jürgen’s team helped us to arrive at our limits. This is the truth,” said Guardiola. “We knew it for a long time – all in or we’re out – and they felt the same and in the end it was one point [in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 title races]. That is football. When you make 99 points and they make 98, they are losers? I would not feel like a loser for one point; one team was better for one corner, for one little detail.

“They have been our biggest rival, our biggest opponent by far. Now Arsenal is there, in certain moments [Manchester] United was close, but I’ve said many times: I cannot define my period, our period here, without them. Impossible. This is the biggest contender we had, miles away from the rest of the teams.”

He said of Klopp: “I think, honestly, if I would be a football player I would love to be his player. I think his charisma is unique. I admire him a lot, I have a lot of respect as a human being. And in sport issues, he has been the biggest, biggest rival in my career. First because we faced each other a thousand, million times in Germany and in England especially, and he helps me to think a lot, to analyse a lot and to be a better manager.”

Sir Alex Ferguson

Ferguson’s retirement as Manchester United manager in 2013 meant the Scot never locked horns with Klopp in the dugout during his tenure at Liverpool. But a strong mutual respect and affection was built up between the pair, with Ferguson among those to send Klopp a special message of congratulations after he steered the Reds to the Premier League title – the club’s first for 30 years – in dominant fashion in 2019-20. Ferguson himself perhaps played an unwitting role in Klopp’s arrival on Merseyside, courtesy of the advice he shared when the two met at a coaches forum following his own retirement.

Ferguson recalled: “His question to me was, ‘Do you think I would be alright in England? Do you think it would be a good move?’ And the advice I gave him, which would be the advice I would give to anyone who comes from abroad, is to pick a club with plenty of ambition and expectation, fan base, history. These are all simple things. If you’ve got ability, which he had shown at Dortmund, then you want to make a move that challenges you.

“At the time I didn’t know who he was talking about, I’m not sure he did either. But then a year later he was at Anfield, and I wish I’d have kept my mouth shut!”

Carlo Ancelotti

Ancelotti was, it’s fair to say, something of a nemesis to Klopp on the occasions they met during his spell at Liverpool. In early 2021, the Italian delivered Everton’s first Merseyside derby win at Anfield for approaching 22 years, while he was the man in charge of Real Madrid when they denied the Reds in the 2022 Champions League final. Ancelotti’s Real also halted Klopp’s men in the European Cup knockout rounds in the next season, 6-2 on aggregate.

“He is a fantastic manager with a fantastic attitude,” said Ancelotti. “He’s a good friend of mine, we have a good relationship and I hope, of course, the best [for Klopp in the future].

“The job he did at Liverpool, to keep Liverpool at the top for these nine years, was fantastic; playing really well with an entertaining team. We have only to say ‘thanks’ – not only Liverpool supporters, but supporters of football that have seen Liverpool play with his style, it was really entertaining.

“I think Liverpool, like Manchester United, like Real Madrid, is in the history of football and I think Jürgen was able to keep the history of this club at the top as it has to be. As it has to be at Manchester United, at Real Madrid, at Milan in Italy. There are teams in the history of this sport that will be forever and Liverpool is part of this.”

Thomas Tuchel

By a quirk of fate, Tuchel followed Klopp as manager at both FSV Mainz 05 and Dortmund. Indeed, he was in charge of the latter when Liverpool achieved their improbable Europa League quarter-final comeback against BVB in 2016. They also pitted their wits against one another when Tuchel was at Paris Saint-Germain and latterly Chelsea, including both domestic cup finals in 2021-22, each of which Klopp’s men won on penalties after 120 goalless minutes.

“These two finals I will always remember, unfortunately,” said Tuchel. “They were both 0-0, both teams scored in extra-time, both teams got overruled from VAR, offside goals and whatever. It was one of the best football matches I personally witnessed on the sidelines, both of them.

“The outcome was the same and the feeling, which I told my Chelsea team, was the same: we left everything out there, there was really absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.”

He said of Klopp: “I just think he found, and he chose and got the opportunity to manage, three very emotional clubs. Very emotional fan bases; they see themselves as kind of a family in Mainz, in Dortmund, and then in Liverpool.

“To come from behind, to overachieve, to be the hunter – to be the underdog. This is basically in which [situation] maybe where he is the best and that’s why it was a perfect fit. It was so smart. He put his energy, injected his energy and I think infected the whole club like he did before in Germany and made it his club, his team and even his fans. That’s what he does.”

Mauricio Pochettino

Klopp and Pochettino were frequent opponents during the latter’s spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. In fact, Klopp’s first match as Reds boss – back in October 2015 – came against Pochettino at White Hart Lane. Fourteen meetings overall included the 2019 Champions League final in Madrid and the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in 2024, both of which Liverpool were victorious in.

“Of course [I will miss him],” said Pochettino. “Because I think always to face him and Liverpool was a nice challenge. A nice challenge to prepare in a tactical way but also in the way that he is on the touchline, it was always a good challenge to be there. When you share the space next to him, you feel he’s a special guy, special character, that is so good and we are going to miss him because of that also.

“We crossed messages at times. He was so nice in the moment that I left Tottenham. I think it was the first message that always you appreciate forever, he was very warm and of course there was a connection, the first time that he played and we met in October 2015. There was a connection, a good feeling and every time we met we had very good chats in between. We need to remember him because I think he’s such a nice guy, so good and we need to remember him with a big smile.”

Arsene Wenger

Klopp’s fledgling years at Anfield overlapped with Wenger’s final few seasons as Arsenal manager, meaning the two faced off on just five occasions – and Klopp emerged from that quintet of encounters with three wins and two draws. Much like Ferguson, respect and admiration is reciprocated between Klopp and Wenger, who has spent time as a guest at the AXA Training Centre.

“I observe managers as well, how they behave during games – the first impression I had from him was a guy who has a strong character and knows what he wants, and can dictate his ideas and convince people that what he thinks is right,” said Wenger. “He has shown that over the years at Liverpool. And as well, I looked at a guy who is simple, who doesn’t play a role; is himself, is true with his beliefs.”

The Frenchman continued: “The biggest respect you can have for somebody is – of course he achieved success – but it’s as well about the fact that you know he gave his best for the club. He based his career on what are important qualities, for me: integrity, commitment, loyalty and respect. He was true to these four qualities that, for me, are absolutely vital.”

Mikel Arteta

Arteta was in coaching opposition for the majority of Klopp’s Liverpool reign, first serving as an assistant to Guardiola at Manchester City for three-and-a-half years from the summer of 2016, a spell that saw the clubs compete so intensely. The Spaniard then took charge of Arsenal and directly faced Klopp’s Reds 14 times across four different competitions.

“From a tactical aspect, a lot of our headaches were related to: how you are going to break the press?” he recalled. “They were a really intense, really effective side at winning the ball really high up the pitch and when they did that you knew what was going to happen. You’re going to be on the back foot in open spaces against three very fast and vertical players that are going to cause you problems.

“He was everything, I think his side are always highly described in the way that they defend with counter-pressing but I think Jürgen’s evolution as well on that team has been much bigger than that. Very difficult to prepare things against him.”

Arteta added of Klopp’s impact: “I would use the word legacy… a monumental influence on English football. A very special personality with such a charisma, such an energy and the capacity to inspire a club that was in a moment navigating through some difficult scenarios and he completely transformed it. He transformed it in a way that united the whole club. [He] brought something very different to the Premier League and certainly inspired coaches, certainly me.”