Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed he is sad that his father Norbert didn't get to see his success as a football manager. The German said that Norbert himself played football and was offered to play for acclaimed football club Kaiserslautern. "He was an unbelievable football player. Kaiserslautern offered him a contract when he was 18. But my grandfather didn't allow him to join them", Klopp said.
Unable to become a football player Norbert decided that his son would fulfill his dreams, Klopp revealed. He invested fully in Jurgen's career as a professional player.
"It was a lot more about giving criticism than praise for something you did, but that was his generation. When I told my dad I would study sports science, he was on fire with the idea. 'Yes, do that!' He had no idea what I could do with it but it was the first kid of the family who studied at all, so he was like 'yes, do that'", said Liverpool's mananger.
In 2001, at the age of 34, Jurgen Klopp became manager of Mainz 05, which at the time was in the second division. Two years later he led the club to Bundesliga promotion. His success with Mainz was quickly noticed by other clubs and in 2008 he was appointed manager of Borussia Dortmund. In the 2010/2011 season, Klopp led the club to a Bundesliga title and won it again a year later, earning himself the title of the German manager of the year.
Klopp says he has achieved what his father wanted him to do – being successful in sports.
"My father, he died unfortunately nearly 20 years ago. The real shame of this story is that he wasn't here anymore when I became a manager. If he had seen how my life turned out after I started as a manager, I think he would have been pretty happy".
The 53-year-old laments that he could have been more reserved when speaking with his father, noting that their relationship was based on respect. But Jurgen is certain that despite his father no longer being with him, he still supports him.
"I would today be able to have a brilliant relationship with him because I'm now old enough and strong enough to say what I want to say in the right tonality. So now we could have completely cool conversations about all the things that happened, but unfortunately we cannot do that. But I'm a Christian, I believe in God living in heaven and that he's just there, annoying other people, telling them they have to watch this game with him. I'm 100 percent sure about that", Klopp said in the documentary "The End of the Storm".
The movie documenting Liverpool's success in the 2019/2020 season is directed by Emmy nominee James Erskine. Singer Lana del Rey, who is a fan of the Reds, recorded an exclusive acapella version of the team's anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone".
The documentary, which features exclusive interviews with current and former players will be released on 30 November.