Jürgen Klopp

After nine years at Liverpool and 23 years as a decorated manager, Jürgen Klopp called it a career. He is a legend of the highest order.

Jürgen Klopp leaves behind a legacy as one of the greatest managers of the modern era, if not all time. Klopp spent 23 years as a manager, achieving virtually everything imaginable at his three unforgettable stops: Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool. Klopp helped Mainz secure promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in club history. He then guided Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles, including its first in nearly a decade, and helped the club earn runner-up status at the 2012-13 Champions League. At his most recent stop, Klopp revitalized Liverpool football and elevated the club to levels it hadn’t seen in decades. He helped the club win its first Premier League title, as well as its first English football championship in 30 years. Klopp solidified his legacy by helping Liverpool win the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, 2018-19 Champions League, and 2019 UEFA Super Cup — one of the greatest runs in club football history. Yet, for all of his success, what fans will remember most about Klopp as a manager is his humanity.

It’s rare to see someone step away from sports and receive the proverbial standing ovation from seemingly everyone who has crossed paths with them. Jürgen Klopp is that rare individual who has not only earned the respect of his peers, but the admiration of anyone who knows him — directly or indirectly. Often said to be one of the individuals who inspired Ted Lasso, Klopp understood the importance of balancing humanity with competition. He was as ferociously invested in winning as anyone you’ll find, but his lasting mark on the sport appears to be how willing he was to connect with the people around him. Whether he was showing up at a local pub to sing “Allez! Allez! Allez!” with fans or showing a genuine investment in his players’ personal lives, Klopp reminded us that our humanity should never be lost in the spirit of sport. Without our humanity, sports lose the essence of what made us all gravitate to them in the first place.