“Klopp has made me a better person” he said to us over a pint. You don’t hear guys talking like that, but he was right.
At the beginning of this year I bought two very overpriced tickets on one of those websites for the last Liverpool FC home match of the season against Wolves for my son and I. Not the worst birthday present for him I thought!
At the time Liverpool were top of the tree and maybe just maybe we might witness a historic premiership win?
Since then a premiership win was impossible after an awful run of matches in April and the occasion instead became a farewell to Jurgen Klopp. Like every Liverpool fan we were heartbroken to hear that he was leaving.
The occasion was amazing , the love for Klopp in the city is so huge and in truth the actual match was a sideshow.
The crowd worked through the usual repertoire of songs during the game but kept on coming back to the anthem for the manager “We’re so glad that Jurgen is a red, we’re so glad and this is what he said ….”
At 87 mins every man woman and child in each corner of the stadium stood up and sang that song, over and over, louder and louder for at least 10 mins until the final whistle.
The podium was moved into the centre of the pitch, the full squad formed a guard of honour while all exiting players and coaches were given a huge send off, and then there was Klopp.
The kind words were said, he gave a perfect rousing speech, he ran to each section of the crowd giving his signature fist pumps and before we knew it it was all over and we were making our way out of the stadium.
An hour later a few of us thirsty souls were enjoying a pint downtown having a post mortem about Jurgen. One of the guys with us, a Liverpudlian ,Adam said a really profound thing.
“Jurgen has made me a better person”
Wow, isn’t that huge I thought and I agree with him 100%, but why?
I’ve been thinking about this ever since and Jurgen has taught us an awful lot about being better people.
Doubters to Believers
The very first day he told us to have the right attitude when you approach anything, including your football team. Support and don’t judge!
Never give up
Until the very last minute you need to keep on trying and when you do anything can happen. He asked us to do this and we saw the result of this on countless occasions,
Enjoy the occasion
He told us continuously that there are lots of things that are a lot more important than football but football was to be enjoyed. Find your escapes, whatever they may be.
Positive attitude
No matter what you do, with the right attitude you can achieve anything. Even when the odds were stacked against this team you can prevail. We all need to remember that, whatever we do.
Every minute counts and never give up
He scolded fans for leaving the stadium early when things didn’t seem to be going well. Supporting the team until the very end paid dividends on so many occasions. If we show belief and encouragement then people will respond accordingly.
Humour and a smile
Every interview and press conference (nearly all!) were conducted with a smile and lots of humour. That huge beaming smile of his was infectious and his use of humour followed with that big hearty laugh got people on his side.
Hugs !!
While some people don’t like hugs Jurgen clearly wasn’t too bothered by that. Big heartfelt hugs are good, show people the love if you mean it!!
Hard Work
You achieve nothing without hard work and preparation – Klopp always spoke about the importance of a tough training camp at the beginning of the season to prepare the team properly. You won’t achieve anything without this!
Friendship and Family
Throughout his time at Liverpool he always made a big deal about the spirit of the team and the importance of team bonding. Every player used speak about the unique spirit at the club, the special bond between everyone, how families were looked after and the difference that makes. I want to work in that environment.
Celebrate the wins
The pure joy of winning was always evident with him. At times he was childlike with his celebrations. Instead of being cool and calm he punched the air, ponded his chest. It’s good to celebrate – show what it means to you.
Solidarity
When asked about tricky situations such as vaccinations of players he never gave a medical opinion but instead he spoke about the importance of solidarity, being in it together.
The Team includes everyone
Before huge matches when “we” were up against it he would say at the press conferences before the game that the team is everyone and we need “everyone” to be in top from. He would mention the fans, the ball boys and the hot dog seller. What a life lesson!
Kindness
Whether it was a kid in a hospital, an invalid, a retiree, anyone – you could see the genuine kindness and warmth he showed them all. He did the most wonderful interviews with these people and you could see how much it meant. We can all be kinder.
His team
He always took responsibility for poor results and never criticised a player, ever. There were some huge games when awful individual mistakes cost us. He never blamed the player.
Departing players
I have never heard of a disagreement or a bad word towards a departing player or a member of his backroom staff. I’m sure there were disagreements but he never spoke about them after, and if anything was said it was always kind.
Bounce back
When we lost big finals or big matches he always saw the positive and used these disappointing occasions as fuel for going again. On one occasion after losing a Champions League Final he was seen singing with fans in pub after!
Humility
From the first very press conference he told us he wasn’t a special one, but an ordinary one. He never brags and he always gives praise and credit to everyone else. That never changed over the years.
Motivator
Even in the last moments of that farewell speech to us he started to sing the name of the incoming manager and he told us how special we were and the power that we bring to every match.
He knew it was the end of his time but he wanted to leave us feeling that we had every reason for feeling good about ourselves.
I’ve always contended that Jurgen Klopp could lead any organisation, any country, we need more of him.
Adam was right. If we take on board Klopp’s attitude, his kindness, his approach, his positivity, his smile, his love and his humanity then we will be better people.
Danke Jurgen for the football and the life advice!
Greg
Greg Canty is a partner at Fuzion a Brand Communications agency with offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 