Klopp Talk: Madrid Is the Start

Liverpool won the Champions League at the start of this month. That’s as good as it gets, right?

Not in the view of Jürgen Klopp.

The Liverpool manager set out to build a side that would keep improving and challenging every year, which is exactly what he envisions the team doing going forward.

“The most important thing for Liverpool fans”, The Mirror report Klopp as saying, “when reliving the memories of this season, is to remember it’s the start – not a conclusion.

“Madrid wasn’t the final chapter for us – I think we’re still writing the introduction.

“When we were travelling around Liverpool with the European Cup on that magical Sunday, the words I heard sung the loudest were: “We’re never gonna stop!”

“That’s what this team and club has to live by. We arrived at this point because we were hungry for moments like June 1.

“My players this year did remarkable things. I called them mentality giants after we beat Barcelona [in the Champions League last four] – but that’s not saying enough. Skill, intelligence, emotion, fitness – they have it all.

“Take all the joy from this campaign and do so in the knowledge we want it again.

“Love the memories and use them to shape our future.”

It’s hard not to see both sides of Klopp shining through here, the romantic and the ruthless winner. The emotional aspect of Klopp wants to write great stories of the journey Liverpool have been on, of what it means to the fans. The other side of the coach, though, is already thinking about the future. He knows the players need pushing, need to understand that they cannot rest on what has already been achieved.

It’s important to be realistic and recognise that Liverpool cannot win the Champions League or the league every year. All that we can ask for is that the team keep working hard to improve. On that front, there can be no doubt that Klopp strives to tick those boxes.