Top 10 Managers of the Season #6: Jurgen Klopp

In Sportskeeda’s exclusive “Top 10 European Managers of the Season”, let’s take a look at the Number 6 on the list.

Read #7 in the Managers’ Series here (Stay tuned on www.Sportskeeda.com, Each day a new manager)

#6: Jurgen Klopp

If ever there was a “mad genius” (as Raphael Honigstein would call him ) , it had to be none other Jurgen Klopp. Youthful , Colorful, Multi-talented, humorous and yet a master tactician Klopp has every ingredients to be the next Footballing ‘off-pitch’ hero. Having completed a full journey from being a ‘versatile’ player to a football coach via a ‘Footy pundit’ and even going to the extent of owning his own Fashion collection , he has shown the world that he has it all that takes to be the real big deal. A breakaway icon last season with Borussia Dortmund, he is a coach who possesses the characteristics that some-what resembles a “Arsene Wenger meets Pep Guardiola” personality.

Jurgen Klopp

Just to give you a taste of this man’s unpredictability , Klopp started his playing career as a striker and by the time he completed it, he was a defender!! Drastic contrast eh?

Klopp at his animated best!

The rise of the new star was however, not a sudden phenomenon as one would think. The signs were quite apparent when the ‘coach’ with the floppy hair-style took over the modest club of FSV Mainz 05 in 2000 and he eventually reaped better results once he got a comparatively better team to work with in form of Borussia Dortmund. Behind the animated character at touchline whose actions would fluctuate with the varying rhythm of the play, Klopp possessed an ability of being a keen and shrewd reader of the game, even during his very early days. A quality that one would not always associate with a ‘loud’ character such as his. It is at-times rather fascinating to watch how Klopp manages to carry such contrasting characters hand in hand. Like a true humble man though, Klopp would never try to hide his so called ‘immature childish touchline acts’ by his superior qualities and is never shy of accepting this drawback-

“When I see footage of myself, it certainly doesn’t please me every time. But I’m not the guy for controlled behaviour on the touchline, I’m emotional and spontaneous.”

Early in his career he established Mainz in the top flight for the first time in the club’s history with his innovative concepts of thoroughly drilled, collective movement at high tempo football. And when in the summer of 2008 Borussia Dortmund came calling, Klopp faced a more stiff but a fresh challenge to look forward to. Borussia had finished a distant 13th the year before and it is needless to say things weren’t quite in the right place. However, Klopp had ideas of his own and soon managed to gain his first trophy – DFB Supercup (defeating champions Bayern Munich 2–1). In the very first season, Borussia finished 6th in the Bundesliga and the consistency was maintained as Klopp guided them to a 5th place finish the following year.

The biggest turning point though, came as recently as this season, as Klopp transformed a mid-table outfit into the Bundesliga champions, claiming the shield with few games to spare. A perfect testament for the man’s iron determination.

Klopp is an excellent motivator. A fact which is much more highlighted when you see how well he has brought about a magnificent response from his young group of players. And when it comes to identifying and nurturing the talents of his young prodigies, there could be no better than him.

Klopp motivated the young players around him to perform at the big stage!

While Dortmund owe him a lot for their success, Klopp was also ably helped by the club’s systematic and calculated progression over the past decade. Although not possessing an well-known youth system, Dortmund have been efficient in their scouting and recruitement of skilled young players. And like an able coach he identified their talents and strengths and groomed them to perform at the top-most level. Look at Shinji Kagawa for an example!!

Arguably the best signing of the year!

Unlike many of the top coaches in Europe, Klopp is one rare species who would always be ready to tinker with his strategies and formations. Adapting to the need of the hour and not adamant on his own personal belief, flexibility is one of his big forte. For an instance if you look at the tactical analysis of a game against Mainz in the early part of November, you would realize his ability to resort to unusual formations that can often catch the opponent team a tad unready and confused.

Klopp employed an unusual 4-3-2-1 formation that he said the team had practiced for only 45 minutes. His players, though, were tactically sophisticated enough to deal with the change and, as he put it, “greedy” enough to fight Mainz’s pacey pressing game with even more pacey pressing. Dortmund won 2-0 to regain the top spot.

Quite impressive indeed!

Klopp is like a breath of fresh air in German Football. Not only does he packs a punch with his footballing tactics, he doesn’t hesitate to chance his arms on the so called ‘unconventional methods’. To enhance player movements and skills, he effectively introduced “Life-Kinetik” on the exercises curriculum for the players. One that presumably had a positive affect on the team.

For the novices Life Kinetik is infact a successful exercise programme which helps to improve brain performance. Specific exercises increase blood circulation around the brain, form new connections between brain cells, which raises mental and physical performance.

One can only credit the man for his exceptional awareness of resorting to every possible methods to help his team’s cause.

BVB sent out sides with an average age of less than 25 in the Bundesliga this season , and a clutch of the young hopefuls made the breakthrough on the international stage. Left-back Marcel Schmelzer , inside forward Mario Gotze and ball-winning midfielder Sevn Bender earned first full caps for Germany, while centre-back Mats Hummels and wing man Kevin Grosskreutz (both 22) achieved the same just under a year ago. This is not only a massive thing to be proud of for Dortmund but also indicates how well the players were guided under Klopp at the club level. Certainly an added achievement in Klopp’s already glorious CV.

Klopp has the X-Factor in him. From claiming his club to be second only to Barcelona in playing an attractive brand of football to ensuring that none of his players except Nuri Sahin left the club in the transfer window, Klopp is a complete package of confidence and authority.And as the famous Rig Veda quote goes “A person can achieve everything by being simple and humble” , Klopp very well stands true to the essence of the quote. When asked about his team’s success, Klopp like a humble man passed all the credit to the team saying-

“By reaching the Champions League and winning the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund has hit a target which we never honestly thought was realistic this season. I’m overjoyed for the club and obviously for my team, whose outstanding displays mean they’ve earned a place in Europe’s best competition”

Setting his sights high!

At a young age of just 43, a golden age certainly beckons for him. With Bundesliga under his kitty now, Klopp has higher ambitions to look forward to. Anyone out there considering an Champions League triumph in the next 12 months or so, eh?

and #10 in the Sportskeeda Managers’ Series.