Jurgen Klopp has revealed his greatest managerial accomplishment to date, and (warning: spoiler) it has nothing to do with the Liverpool Football Club.
The Premier League season is just four weeks old, and fans are already yearning for competitive club football to resume after the unlucky football lull of the season’s first international break.
Klopp has taken advantage of the early break to visit Mainz 05, a club close to his heart, while his players have been traveling the globe for their different national teams.
The boss played for the German team for 11 years, making 325 appearances, and scored 52 goals. From 2001 to 2008, he also served as its manager for a further seven years.
The 56-year-old took advantage of his brief return to the team to assert that his most notable managerial accomplishment, rather than winning the Champions League with Liverpool or ending a 30-year curse by winning the league with the Reds in 2020, occurred during his time at Mainz.
He has always been referred to as the “miracle manager,” a person who, rather than merely riding the success (and wealth) of an already successful team, can instill greatness where none previously existed through coaching ability.
As a manager, Klopp cherishes hard effort because it shows that his best accomplishment came during a time when he was stretched to the limit and had little financial support.
The promotion of Mainz 05 remains [my most prized management success], Klopp declared in an interview with the German tabloid Bild. Compared to most players, I played in more Champions League final defeats. Winning it once is awesome, significant, and vital. It seemed quite unique. However, it is the unique tale.
