Jürgen Klopp will be remembered as one of Liverpool Football Club’s all-time great managers, but he’s also remembered fondly by his old clubs in Germany.
During his tenure at Signal Iduna Park, Klopp guided Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga championships, a DFB-Pokal triumph, and a Champions League final.
Prior to that, in 2004, he led Mainz to its first-ever appearance in the Bundesliga; the club has since spent just two years outside the top division.
Due to his playing days at Mainz, when he made 340 appearances while there and amassed 56 goals, Klopp has a special bond with the club.
The Reds manager was present on Saturday as the team said goodbye to the legendary south stand at its previous stadium, the Bruchwegstadion.
To commemorate the event, Mainz played a friendly match against third-tier team Duisburg and won 2-0. It was a welcome return to winning ways for a team that had started the Bundesliga season with one draw and two crushing losses in its first three games, despite the fact that there were no points at stake.
Sepp van den Berg, a center back on loan from Liverpool, was one of the players who played for Mainz. He played for 84 minutes before being replaced. Usually focused on the Reds’ own schedule, Klopp got the opportunity to observe one of his players closely during the break.
