Klopp: Coaching and Emotions
Proven Winner
Since the 2010s, the Premier League has been unmatched in the wide scale notoriety of its players and managers. Ask a football fan to name someone from the mid-level to smaller sides in Italy, Spain, or Germany and you’re more likely to receive a blank stare than an answer. Pose the same question about the Premiership, and odds are people will know names like Sean Dyche or Teemu Pukki.
On the other end of the popularity spectrum in the Premier League is one of the most well-known figures: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Of course, Klopp wasn’t an unknown quantity prior to joining Liverpool, but his pedigree has surely skyrocketed since moving from Germany
It should be noted, Klopp’s fame isn’t merely because he’s a Premier League manager. Since he left Borussia Dortmund for Liverpool, the latter team has enjoyed immense success after a prolonged barren spell. His trophy haul since moving to England in 2015 includes:
Premier League (1)
FA Cup (1)
EFL Cup (1)
UEFA Champions League (1)
UEFA Super Cup (1)
FIFA Club World Cup (1)
Klopp raises Liverpool’s first Champions League trophy since 2005
As a result, he has cemented his status as not just one of the best managers in the Premiership, but in world football.
Trophies in the Homeland
Klopp’s success didn’t only commence at Liverpool, hIs spell at Dortmund was also noteworthy. During his time in charge from 2008-2015, the club managed to win the following titles:
Bundesliga (2)
DFB Pokal (1)
DFL Supercups (2)
The only trophy they missed out on was the coveted Champions League—which they narrowly lost in the 2013 final to fellow German side, Bayern Munich. Barring Dortmund’s golden years in the 90s—where one Champions League title was actually achieved in addition to those listed above—Klopp’s era was the second most successful in club history thus far.
Klopp (center) with the Bundesliga trophy amongst the Dortmund fans
Klopp with the DFB Pokal cup
From Player to Coach
Contributing to a team’s trophy cabinet will surely attract headlines, but Klopp also managed to attain success not measured by silverware. His first job in coaching was at the same club he played for as a professional: Mainz 05. After 11 years playing for them, he retired and became the coach halfway through the 2000/01 season. Suddenly teammate became boss, and the daily job description transformed. When Klopp came into the position, he was inexperienced, and for a club that had never made it to the Bundesliga, surely the aspirations weren’t the loftiest.
His first official season—which lasted only three months—ended with a 14th place finish. There was marked improvement in the side during the following two seasons, however, when they achieved consecutive fourth place finishes. In the third season under Klopp, Mainz finished third, which finally secured promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in club history.
Little Team in a Big League
For a side of Mainz’s size, such an achievement can’t be overstated. Being in the top flight brings increased prestige, as well as access to lucrative TV rights that get split amongst the 18 first division teams. Even though their budget and stadium capacity ranked last in the league, Mainz still achieved a respectable 11th place in their maiden season. The risk newly promoted sides typically face of being immediately relegated following promotion was averted in the first, and second season. The consecutive 11th place finishes weren’t replicated in 2006/07, and after three seasons they were ultimately relegated.
Klopp would maintain his loyalty for another season trying to take the team back to the Bundesliga. Failure to do so, however, resulted in his resignation after seven years as manager. In the end there was no silverware to show, but in spite of that, the success was evident. Thanks in no small part to Klopp’s management, Mainz experienced their highest moment as a club up to that point.
Coaching Style
In football, some managers are known for molding their sides into specific styles that become intrinsically linked to them. Guardiola has his tiki taka passing and possession style. Meanwhile Bielsa and Gasperini sides are notorious for their constant attacking, and high pressing intent, even if it means conceding goals.
Then you have Klopp’s “heavy metal” football, a term he coined himself. His teams are known for their dizzying intensity on and off the ball. Defending consists of chasing down the ball by multiple players at any given time. Pressing high up the pitch allows possession recoveries in areas that can quickly transition into the attacking plays.
The performance on the pitch mirrors Klopp’s energetic display on the sideline. Fist pumps, screaming at referees, opposing coaches, players, and the fans, as well as exuberant celebrations—for goals and defensive actions alike—are all part of the “Klopp Show” during matches.
Something else Klopp is known for is the embrace he shares with his players after the final whistle. We see multiple coaches doing it nowadays, but the German was certainly one to popularize it. In fact, his post match routine has become so notorious that even EA Sports included it in their FIFA 21 release.
Back to School
Klopp certainly appears to be a natural extrovert, but all that emotion and hugging also serves a purpose. During his playing days at Mainz, he attended Goethe University and acquired a Master’s in Sport Science.
Sport science is comprised of various fields, but one of primary concern is psychology: namely sport psychology. In a nutshell, sport psychology studies the role psychology plays in the performance of athletes. Essentially the work done by those in this field helps sportspeople adopt a mental approach that enhances their results.
Body Language and Dialogue
Regarding coaching, sport psychology contains concepts that Klopp utilizes effectively. For instance, the constant hugging of his players is part of communication style under the coaching section of sport psychology. In particular, nonverbal communication is what he exhibits through his “arm around the shoulder” approach.
He also supplements that primary style with its opposite: verbal communication. Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson, told FourFourTwo, “He always finds the right words to give us more confidence before matches—you know he has a genuine passion for the game.”
Studies indicate that athletes display more positive results when the coaching method used involves positive feedback and encouragement, so it’s no surprise Klopp chooses to manage with this dual approach.
Energizing a Squad
Another part of sport psychology is the motivational climate fostered by a coach. The task oriented approach under motivational climate—rather than the ego oriented—is what Klopp opts for to further stimulate his players. This method aims to get athletes to nurture their skill, master tasks, and contribute maximum effort. All three areas, but especially the latter two, are consistently on display when watching any of Klopp’s sides.
The discipline in pressing—and relentless exertion—from his players during matches is testament to their mastery of the tasks assigned, and genuine commitment to the cause. It’s a delicate balance that Klopp has navigated well as his physically demanding style of play—resulting in numerous muscle injuries at both Dortmund and Liverpool— is still embraced by his players.
His emotive persona clearly resonates with his players, and galvanizes his teams. Allison confirmed this in the FourFourTwo interview mentioned above stating, “When it comes to motivating the players, Klopp is a specialist.” Meanwhile, Alisson’s teammate and compatriot, Firmino, doubled down on this point telling the Liverpool Echo, “Working with him is excellent. He motivates us in a different way every day.”
This combination of his natural character with his educational background is a blend that has realized tangible results. There are various tools from his sport science background—discussed in the two clips below—that Klopp has effectively implemented into his coaching. The first example is the narrative psychology used when shaping how a team should reflect on a concluded season:
While the second example is his curated approach to man management, unique to each player’s origin and background:
Increased Access
Football has become more accessible over the years with social media, clubs, and players providing more content. Whereas in the past we typically only saw players and managers during matches and press conferences; nowadays viewing clips of training sessions and much more is commonplace. That said, there are still things we aren’t privy to—matters that don’t get publicized unless the parties involved choose to share.
The bond and camaraderie between Klopp and his players isn’t merely isolated to the post match celebrations seen on the pitch—it runs deeper. There are experiences taking place off camera that speak to the substantive interpersonal links within the clubs he has been at.
Behind the Scenes: Mainz
In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Klopp provided a glimpse into some private moments during his time at Mainz. Klopp recalled his departure from Mainz saying, “I left Mainz after 18 years and thought: ‘Next time I will work with a little less of my heart.’ I said that because we all cried for a week. The city gave us a goodbye party and it lasted a week. For a normal person that emotion is too much. I thought it’s not healthy to work like this.”
Think of the level of emotion invested by him after 18 years at a club as a player and manager, or the impact his conduct had on the club prompting a one week send off. If someone says they cried for a week when they left a job, it would be easy to have doubts, but that hardly seems embellished with the emotionally vulnerable Klopp. That openness is why he leaves a lasting impression on clubs.
Emotions at Dortmund
Being the manager of any Bundesliga team not named Bayern Munich, results in a range of emotions provoked by the perennial German champions. Bayern’s has the deepest pockets in the league, so they don’t only dominate, it’s the way that domination is achieved that invokes strong sentiments. The Bavarians routinely poach top talent from all their direct rivals rendering the competition just a little weaker every year they seem to get closer.
Klopp won back to back league titles in 2011 and 2012 with Dortmund disrupting Bayern’s hegemony, but it was just a matter of time before the Munich side would begin plundering his team. Towards the end of the 2012/13 season Bayern pounced and activated the €37 million release clause of Mario Gotze. This transfer would destabilize Dortmund on the pitch due to Gotze’s influential role in the side, but it also caused some distress within the squad that wasn’t publicized.
Gotze’s form quickly caught Bayern’s eye
Klopp vividly described finding out about Gotze’s transfer as being akin to a heart attack. Going into deeper detail of his—and the team’s—general mood in The Guardian, “That evening my wife was waiting … we were invited [to a film premiere]. But I walked in and told her: ‘No chance, I cannot speak. It’s not possible to take me out tonight.’ … I have to be on my own.” He goes on, “[about players not being able to sleep] I called six or seven players who I knew were damaged in the heart. They thought they were not good enough—and they wanted to win together. That’s the reason it hurt them so much.”
Heavy stuff indeed. Again, this would have remained unknown had it not been for Klopp granting a peak into what happens out of the public eye. Clearly the bond within the team was intense.
Managing Player Departures
One year prior to Gotze leaving, another key midfielder, Shinji Kagawa, also departed from Dortmund. When the Japanese player was set to join Manchester United, Klopp said, “We cried for 20 minutes, in each others’ arms, when he left.”
Klopp and Kagawa before the midfielder’s departure to Manchester United
Despite both players being critical to the Dortmund cause, Klopp still had the capacity to show empathy for their respective ambitions that prompted each exit. In Kagawa’s case he candidly stated: “ … for most Japanese people it means more to play for Man United than Dortmund.” In Gotze’s case, “It’s absolutely normal that people go different ways. At 18 I wanted to see whole world … It’s OK that they want to go to different places.”
The ability to share such visceral feelings doesn’t come naturally for most—whether in personal life or professional. It requires cultivating a safe space where individuals can be authentic rather than guarded. Klopp—leading by example with displays of sincere emotion—managed to gain the trust of his players in private moments. This trust translated to success in a myriad of ways, and a true team spirit was facilitated at both Mainz and Dortmund.
Tears of a Different Kind
Klopp’s success at his current club, Liverpool, is beyond discussion. His trophies were listed above, and the team spirit he established at Mainz and Dortmund has been replicated in northwest England. Furthermore, he’s also formed a close link with the local community and fans. Klopp lives in Formby, Liverpool where he’s regularly seen walking his dog near the beach, or getting a drink at the local pubs.
Evidence of the latter occurred when he popped up, unannounced, to an establishment named after him. This wasn’t the first time he did this, as a few years prior he made a similar visit to surprise Liverpool fans, and join them for a drink.
In early 2021, however, living in Liverpool unfortunately became a prison of sorts during a personal moment of crisis. On February 10 of that year, Klopp made a public statement announcing the passing of his mother, which occurred a few weeks prior on January 19. The funeral took place the day before his statement; he was unable to attend because of a German travel ban on all arrivals from the UK due to COVID.
The anguish of such a scenario must have been immense. The loss of a mother, on its own, is as heart wrenching an ordeal as some may ever experience. Funerals—events that can never truly achieve the finality, or closure, they are meant to provide—are still part of the process of losing a loved one we expect to attend. For Klopp to be faced with his loss, and his absence at the funeral, is a combination that surely impacts a person.
Personal Loss vs. Professional Demands
The grieving process manifests in multiple forms, and it varies from person to person. Some may prefer time and space in an effort to come to terms with their loss. For Klopp, however, the high profile nature of his job deprived him of that option. For the vast majority of people, releasing a public statement for such a private matter isn’t the norm; as a manager of one the biggest sides in world football, however, such an unorthodox gesture was almost expected from him.
Klopp’s statement was subdued, but even in its brevity, the words still signified the sadness he was living through. He told Schwarzwalder Bote, “She meant everything to me. She was a real mom in the best sense of the word. As a believing Christian, I know that she is now in a better place.”
Klopp with his mother during one of the Dortmund trophy celebrations
The timeframe between his mother’s passing, and his formal announcement, was a period of three weeks. In that timeframe, it’s not as if the matches stopped. Liverpool were still involved in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League, and games were taking place almost every four days. Klopp, for his part, never even took time off for bereavement during those weeks.
One wonders what sort of mental toll this took on him. How he processed—and still processes—his grief under such demanding circumstances is only known to him, but it surely came with its challenges.
Relationship Management
Such a delicate moment was always going to affect the team atmosphere in some way. His persistent displays of emotion wouldn’t have magically ceased when his mother passed. Even if he opted to keep the actual matter private from the team before making it public, surely his demeanor would have told a story of its own. Whether they knew the full story or not, the effects of his personal strife were bound to reverberate in an environment that was already emotionally expressive.
A mental health term relevant in this scenario is enmeshment, which refers to relationships of two or more people—typically familial—where healthy boundaries are blurred or nonexistent. The constant merging of emotions and struggles result in the individuals involved lacking a personal identity, and/or independence. Typically what occurs is that whatever one person feels, the other tends to experience because of the lack of autonomy within the relationships.
Liverpool might not be the textbook example of enmeshment because it isn’t a traditional family, but the relationship model in place has some cautionary areas. The dynamic of the dressing room consists of a tight knit culture, with an emotional bond, that has contributed to their triumphs. That same ethos—in the midst of such a trying period for Klopp—could provoke the opposite effect on performance.
If the leader of the team, known for freely expressing his emotions, is grieving in that setting, then players and staff might absorb some of the sentiments. This may be because of empathy, but enmeshment could have also been at play.
Practicing mindfulness—in order to understand your needs and thoughts—thereby building a better relationship with yourself, is one way to manage enmeshment. As this improves, the setting of healthy boundaries gradually becomes more attainable.
Keeping up Apperances
Understandably, Klopp was contending with a lot , and this was somewhat evident in the first match that followed his mother’s passing. When Liverpool hosted Burnley on January 21, two days after his loss—Klopp’s side lost 0-1. It wasn’t just any defeat, it marked the end of an historic 68 game unbeaten record at home. It was also the first time Liverpool had failed to score a goal in four straight games since the 1999/2000 season.
Klopp’s emotions were on full display by halftime—well before the final result was official. As the teams made their way to the dressing rooms, he got into a heated exchange with his counterpart: Sean Dyche.
The anger, and lack of restraint, wasn’t isolated to Klopp, however, as his players were also involved in a melee with their opponents during the match, with Fabinho escaping a sending off after a VAR review on his tackle just before halftime. This exhibition of shared reactions and feelings by the manager, and players, is hardly surprising considering the circumstances. Whether it was the grieving, or the poor form, such a close side may have been contending with traits of enmeshment.
Klopp’s anger—one of the emotions associated with grief—wasn’t subdued, and will have been witnessed, perhaps even absorbed, by the squad. The loss to Burnley presaged a poor run of form in the second half of the 2020/21 season that left Liverpool scrambling just to finish in the top four.
Dip in Form
Since Klopp joined Liverpool in October 2015, his first season was the only one where a top four finish wasn’t attained. As a result, that achievement had increasingly been taken for granted. A major contributor to their consistency was Liverpool’s negligible loss record at home:
2015/16 - 3
2016/17 - 2
2017/18 - 0
2018/19 - 0
2019/20 - 0
Anfield—as evidenced by the aforementioned 68 home game unbeaten streak—had become a fortress for Liverpool. Contrast the above numbers with 2020/21 where home defeats—six—eclipsed the combined total of the previous five seasons. All six of those Anfield losses occurred in the immediate month following the passing of Klopp’s mother.
The rut didn’t stop there, the total points return for that season—69—was the lowest since he joined six years prior. This paltry return, by their standards, was only one season removed from their 99 point return in 2019/20, and 97 points in 2018/19.
A strong finish to the season, after winning five straight—with goalkeeper Alisson even scoring a late winner in one match—eventually ensured Champions League qualification. It was just a consolation in an otherwise underwhelming season, however.
Of course that season also marked a full year since the COVID pandemic commenced, which would have taken its mental toll on the squad. There were also injuries to key members of the squad, specifically Van Dijk in defense, that proved difficult to alleviate. The intense and physically demanding schedule, trying to make up for COVID match postponements, didn’t help either. So yes, multiple factors may have negatively affected the team’s form. That said, if those issues can hold sway, then surely a major personal loss felt so deeply by the team’s figurehead—and by extension the squad—also played its role.
Proven Methods Versus Recency Bias
As Klopp mentioned above, he feels part of his role on the sideline includes lifting his players’ spirits during matches when they’re in a slump or struggling. If he is undergoing his own internal struggles, however, then that may not be as feasible for him. Compartmentalization is much easier said than done.
Klopp mentioned living, “100 percent for the boys, with the boys.” In normal circumstances, this type of commitment from a manger would be idyllic, but the personal strife he was enduring is anything but normal.
In fact, during that timeframe of lackluster results, various post match reports bemoaned Liverpool’s drop in energy, calling them too predictable. Clearly the intensity Klopp normally helped generate had diminished, prompting journalists to opine in the following ways: “[Liverpool] are in a full blown crisis”, and “[Liverpool] were simply a shadow of themselves.” Alarmist headlines like that became the norm in that period, and shockingly, #Kloppout was even trending on Twitter at one point.
The squad was also living through a pandemic the same as everyone else. Many of the players aren’t from England, and had been restricted from seeing family and friends for extended periods, and of course there’s the frustration that accompanied their poor results.
That type of superficial thinking from the media and the public is problematic. It lacks empathy, and increases the likelihood that players and managers aren’t humanized. For all the entertainment they provide, players and managers are not machines, purely existing to amuse us. The various life experiences we, the spectators, wrestle with daily, are shared by them as well; solely focusing on wins and losses hijacks the possibility for deeper questions.
Making Adjustments
The takeaway here is not that Klopp’s approach to management is flawed, it’s more nuanced than that. If football was completely immune to aspects of the human condition like death, then naturally the culture Klopp cultivates would always be at an optimal level. Clearly that’s not reality. As a result, the delicate handling of subjects like mortality—in such an emotionally vulnerable dressing room—becomes more complex.
Without argument, the raw emotion he opts for within his teams has produced concrete success. If that strategy is maintained, then exercising healthy psychological and emotional boundaries among the members of the team is paramount. Being cognizant of enmeshment, and endeavoring to mitigate it, is imperative especially when players or managers are facing major life incidents unrelated to football.
Coping Mechanisms
Grieving is certainly not a science, and doing so under the extraordinary circumstances faced by Klopp is that much more taxing.
He’s not the first to throw himself into work after experiencing loss. Many people repress in this way as a defense mechanism rather than confront emotions, and deal with anxiety inducing thoughts. To be fair to Klopp, however, the nature of his job also didn’t provide much recourse. Such burdens aren’t in the best interest of a person’s mental wellness, and only Klopp truly knows how well he coped with the professional demands.
He alluded to his religious beliefs in his public statement about his mother’s passing, and it seems apparent that his faith is instrumental in his life. For some, their spirituality is essential when attempting to heal; religion helps provide perspective and solace to people of faith during such trying times. Whether he leaned into his faith, or utilized mental health practices—or both—hopefully relief and clarity were found.
Trusting What Works
The numbers, and the trophies, don’t lie; Klopp is among the best managers of his generation. Some of his contemporaries may possess better tactical nous than him, but his ability to inspire teams is unique. To do so, he has married his intense emotion with mental motivation tools, and elicited elevated energy levels in his sides.
Plaudits for his trophy collection will come naturally, but he also deserves special commendation for how he incorporates mental health and awareness into his role. He has faced a host of psychological demands throughout his career, both on and off the field. Yet, his longevity at the pinnacle of the sport is testament to his resilience in the face of such challenges.
It isn’t commonplace for many to be overtly emotional in life. Klopp, on the other hand, subscribes to a different belief. His willingness to wear his heart on his sleeve has been the catalyst for deep emotional bonds with his players and staff. What he has reaped from this is evident for all to see when you watch his teams, and account for the quantitative and qualitative success.
Football—and life—has its ups and downs, so the unrestrained emotions Klopp displays might not always be positive ones, but he’s invested in this vulnerability nonetheless. There is bravery and conviction in that. After two successful decades in coaching, it’s safe to say he has some insight on behaviors and management styles that yield results.
Mental health terms referenced above:
Motivational climate - the set of signals—task oriented or ego oriented—in an environment that impact a person’s objectives and how they achieve them
Empathy - understanding a person from his or her frame of reference rather than one’s own (American Psychological Association)
Authenticity - the aligning of actions with core values and beliefs, with the hope of discovering, and then acting in sync with, the true self (www.psychologytoday.com)
Guarded - careful not to show feelings or give away information (Collins Dictionary)
Enmeshment - condition in which two or more people, typically family members, are involved in each other’s activities and personal relationships to an excessive degree, limiting healthy interaction and compromising individual autonomy (American Psychological Association)
Boundary - psychological demarcation that protects the integrity of an individual that helps the person set realistic limits on their participation in a relationship or activity (American Psychological Association)
Mindfulness - awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings (e.g., thoughts, emotions) (American Psychological Association)
Defense Mechanism - an unconscious reaction pattern employed by the ego to protect itself from the anxiety that arises from psychic conflict (American Psychological Association)
Narrative Psychology - a field of psychology that explores the value of storytelling in giving meaning to individuals’ experiences (American Psychological Association)
Resilience - successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility (American Psychological Association)
Vulnerability - the willingness to accept the emotional risk that comes from being open and willing to love and be loved
All statistics above are from: www.fbref.com and www.statsbomb.com