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Jurgen Klopp will leave Anfield on Sunday as a living legend, having restored Liverpool to the elite of English and European football while building a lasting bond with the city and its people.
Ever since the manager in January announced the shock decision he would be stepping down at the end of the season, the sense of loss that has enveloped Merseyside has been palpable.
The raw emotion is testament to a transformation that Liverpool had not seen since the days of Bill Shankly decades ago.
On Klopp’s first day in charge at Anfield in October 2015 he modestly declared himself as “a Normal One”, in stark contrast to Jose Mourinho’s bombastic “Special One” arrival as Chelsea boss a decade earlier.
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Yet the German would prove he was anything but normal, becoming the only Liverpool manager to complete the collection of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Club World Cup and Community Shield during his tenure.
Klopp arrived with Liverpool 10th in the Premier League table and without a league title in 25 years.
Yet his force of personality, charisma and coaching nous soon began to enchant a highly emotive fanbase.
“This is a very, very special club. I didn’t make them believe, I reminded them that it helps when you believe,” said Klopp earlier this month.
“Everybody was ready to push the train. That’s what we did now for eight-and-a-half years.”
Here are the five moments that sum up his special time on Merseyside.
2016: Dortmund delight
It took nearly four years for the trophies to start flowing for Klopp in England but there were memorable moments from his first season as Liverpool reached the Europa League final, where they lost to Sevilla.
Klopp faced a reunion with former club Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, two early goals from the Germans at Anfield left Liverpool with a mountain to climb.
But the Reds roared back, with Dejan Lovren scoring a late winner as Klopp bounced up and down on the touchline, celebrating a 5-4 win on aggregate.
Liverpool would go onto reach four European finals under Klopp as he restored the English giants as a powerhouse in continental competition.
2019: Barcelona blown away
For all of Liverpool’s rich history in European competition, arguably Anfield’s greatest ever night came in a remarkable fightback against Barcelona to reach the Champions League final in 2019.
A Lionel Messi-inspired Barca had won the first leg 3-0 at the Camp Nou. Back at Anfield they were demolished by an understrength Liverpool, who were without two of their own talismanic front three in Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
In their absence, Divock Origi was the unlikely hero as he and Georginio Wijnaldum each scored twice in a stunning 4-0 victory.
2019: Champions League glory
After beating Barcelona, Tottenham were tamed as tens of thousands of Liverpool supporters turned Madrid red in celebration of a sixth Champions League title.
Salah and Origi scored the goals at the Metropolitano Stadium as Klopp finally got his hands on Europe’s biggest prize after losing his two previous finals with Dortmund and Liverpool.
2020: First Premier League trophy for 30 years
Liverpool posted a then club-record 97 Premier League points in the 2018/19 season, but still missed out on the title by one point to a relentless Manchester City.
The following year they were not to be denied — even by the interruption to the season caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Klopp’s men won 26 and drew one of their opening 27 games on their way to racking up 99 points and claiming a first league title in 30 years.
The players had to lift the trophy at an empty Anfield because of Covid restrictions, but thousands of fans defied the ban on socialising to gather outside the stadium, setting off red flares.
2024: Unlikely final trophy
After a difficult 2022/23 campaign, Klopp proved his managerial acumen once more by refreshing the squad with youth and energy, which inspired another quadruple quest.
Klopp’s goodbye did not reach a glorious crescendo as Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge came off the rails in the final weeks of the campaign and they exited the FA Cup and Europa League.
However, there was still silverware to celebrate from his final season in the League Cup.
Virgil van Dijk’s header minutes from the end of extra-time beat Chelsea 1-0 to secure an unlikely triumph for Klopp’s understrength side.
Liverpool were severely weakened by injuries and absences at the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup when they arrived at Wembley.
But Klopp’s faith in a clutch of teenagers paid off as they helped turn the tide in Liverpool’s favour during extra-time before Van Dijk’s stooping header broke the deadlock.
“It was a win-win situation from the first day. I enjoyed each second of it,” Klopp said recently.
“The responsibility and love that grew over the years is a big part of the decision I made, so I’m absolutely fine and at peace with the decision.”
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