Published 17:42 IST, July 30th 2020
Jurgen Klopp expresses regret over not being able to share success with his late father
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp spoke about the pain he feels by not being able to share his managerial success with his father, Norbert, who passed away in 2000.
- SportFit
- 2 min read
Over the past 13 months, Jurgen Klopp has transformed his career, going from football’s perennial runner-up to a serial winner. However, despite the medals and adulation for the Liverpool boss, Klopp has a deep family regret. The Reds head coach revealed that he sometimes struggles to deal with the fact his father, Norbert Klopp, passed away four months before Jurgen got his first job as a manager.
Jurgen Klopp regrets being unable to share managerial success with his father
In a recent chat with Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson as part of the Duke of Cambridge's Heads Up Campaign, Jurgen Klopp spoke about his father's death and how it shaped him as a manager. Klopp's father, Norbert, passed away just four months before his son got his first job as a manager at Mainz. Klopp admitted that he feels the pain of not being able to share his success with his father, who was, in fact, his 'natural coach'.
Klopp said, "My father pushed me to become a manager for his whole life but then died four months before I made it". The Liverpool boss then added, "It's strange because whenever I sit in front of a mirror, all I can see is my father. I've started to look like him and it's scary.". Klopp concluded by stating that he finds it extremely difficult to cope with the success he's achieved in his career because his 'biggest critique' never saw him coach and win trophies in a foreign land.
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Jurgen Klopp management at Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp's father was a salesman and former goalkeeper but urged his son to move into management. Despite taking up the job at Mainz in 2001, Klopp was still relatively unknown following a modest playing career. However, Klopp soon became a popular figure in Germany after he led Mainz to Bundesliga promotion in 2004. Klopp left Mainz and joined Dortmund in 2008 and won two Bundesliga titles with the Black and Yellows.
The charismatic German arrived at Liverpool in October 2015 and helped the Premier League outfit to the UCL title last season. The UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup triumph's followed. Klopp then ended Liverpool's 30-year drought for a league title as the Merseyside giants were crowned champions of England for the 2019-20 season.
Image Credits - liverpoolfc.com
Updated 17:42 IST, July 30th 2020