'Doubters to believers,' indeed: Danke Jürgen Klopp - Sports Gazette

I am not from Liverpool. I am a 28-year-old from the Midwestern US.

To some, this puts me solidly in the ‘plastic fan’ category.

I sometimes feel I don’t have the right to mourn the loss of a manager to a club and city I’m not from. However, once you’re welcomed by Scousers, it’s hard to turn back.

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Football news is currently inundated with reflections on the Jürgen Klopp era from fans and opponents alike. We’re all just trying to process the last nine years of joy that a man who grew up in the Black Forest brought to a rainy city in the north west of England. 

I’ve been firmly stuck in the denial stage since that January announcement. 

With his final press conference complete and only today’s match remaining, I’m forced to work through my sadness and reflect.

I’ve been faulted previously for being too sympathetic to athletes — it’s hard for me to take my emotions towards players as human beings out and only focus on performances. As painful as those Manchester United FA Cup and Crystal Palace losses were, it was my worry and disappointment for the players and Klopp themselves that impacted me the most. 

It’s similar to what we saw from the Chelsea Women’s team when they saw their quadruple hopes squashed (although, where Liverpool men fell short, Chelsea women found a way to give one final league title to Emma Hayes yesterday). Both sets of players seemed to want it so badly – to give their managers that fairytale ending – that once they hit a bump, the pressure and exhaustion seemed to catch up with them.

Despite the disappointing April, this isn’t a story of sadness but one of overwhelming joy. There’s no question that Klopp successfully turned ‘doubters to believers’. 

I have never been to a place like Liverpool. It’s cliche, but you feel the community atmosphere as soon as you step foot into that city along the River Mersey. In a city that had systemically been set adrift by the government, they had no choice but to support one another. 

Klopp has talked a lot about how he understood the city, which made his transition into Liverpool easier. 

He recently summed up that feeling with Kelly Cates, saying, “We all felt at home, we all felt welcomed. That’s what we all felt from the start, that’s the special thing about the people in this area, Scousers, it’s really special. We felt supported, we felt loved, we felt everything.” 

Thank you, Jürgen

I wouldn’t be the fan I am today without the chosen family that welcomed me into their group and city.

My cousin married a man, Dean, from Liverpool. He is now one of my best friends. If you looked up kindness in the dictionary, I’m pretty sure Dean’s family and friends would be what’s pictured. I can’t count the number of matchdays – even the dreaded 6:30 AM kick-offs – I spent at my cousin’s house watching the games with coffees in hand and dogs at our feet.

Dean, me, and my cousin in 2022. I suppose I can partially blame Dean for my dog’s name of Henderson.

Falling back in love with football after a coach had forced me out of love with the game at the age of 14 is all due to Dean showing me the Liverpool way. I went from following the Premier League, in general, to constantly following the latest Liverpool news. 

As much as I hate to admit how late to the game I was, it was down to the energy and humanity of Klopp that hooked me as a fan. For that, thank you.

Since moving from the US, Jürgen Klopp has given me a way to stay connected with my 6-year-old nephew, Tony, from 4000 miles away. He now talks about nothing but Liverpool FC and spends every free minute with a ball at his feet. And it’s all because of what Klopp has built. For that, thank you.

A photo my brother-in-law recently sent of my nephew. Tony begged to stay after his practice ended to work on penalty kicks.

Jürgen Klopp gave me a best friend, friends that feel like family, a home away from home, and some of my most joyful memories.

The words ‘thank you’ simply don’t feel adequate. Alas, it’s the closest thing the English language leaves me with.

It’s not the only trophies that Jürgen Klopp gave Liverpool fans; it’s the joy and hope he brought.

Danke schön, Jürgen Klopp. You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Feature image credit: Pete https://www.flickr.com/photos/comedynose/47987811001/