Klopp On Contract Extension: “There Is No Secret, We Are In Love”

If any Liverpool fan doubted the concept of love at first sight, surely that was put to rest the moment that they laid eyes on Jürgen Klopp with a Liverbird on his chest. The manager came to the club at the end of 2015, when spirits were low and frustration was high. Over the years, he has delivered on every promise he made in that first interview — and then some.

No one has to wonder why the owners would want him to prolong his stay for as long as possible. It’s clear that the feelings are mutual between club and manager, though. It would be hard to find a team more settled, comfortable, and happy than Liverpool’s players and staff.

Saturday evening, Liverpool play at Anfield for the first time since the announcement of Klopp’s contract extension. In the match programme for the game against Tottenham, Klopp addressed the new contract and gave his simple reason why he and the staff chose to stay.

“There is no secret why,” he writes. “We are in love with this place, and that connection is very much centred on people. The players are a huge factor in this. They are just the most incredible set of boys. From the oldest to the youngest, they inspire me each and every day with their talent and application.”

He made sure to point out the other members of the staff who “prop [them] up” and then the Liverpool faithful who have remained loyal and fervent through the entirety of his reign.

“Of course, I cannot understate our supporters. The bond we have here is something I could not have envisaged. It’s authentic, it’s real. It feels like we really appreciate each other. And that’s not specific to me – I am only a small part of it. It’s the team and the staff as a whole. We believe in each other and take energy from each other.

“As a manager you can never make promises of success, it’s not possible. It applies to the remainder of this season also.”

There are six games now separating Liverpool from the history books. Two of them are cup finals, the other four will decide the Premier League. They already have one trophy under their belts. Whatever happens, this season has been one hell of a ride, and I can’t think of anyone else I’d want steering the ship.