Part 2 of the ECHO's look back at Jurgen Klopp's time at Liverpool focuses on the march to the Champions League final in Kiev, back in 2018
A wild-eyed Jurgen Klopp turned to Anfield's Main Stand, and with fists pumping and veins bulging, the Liverpool manager delivered a message: "This is f******* football!"
Armed with Champions League football and its accompanying bounty for the first window since 2014, and now able to also use the allure of Klopp to entice the stars of the European game, Fenway Sports Group gave the green light for several high-class acquisitions as they geared up for a return to the European Cup with their talismanic coach steering the ship.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was snared from Arsenal for around £35m and Liverpool headed into the campaign with lingering regrets about Van Dijk but with a fresh new look about a squad that had been paired with Hoffenheim for that Champions League group-stage qualifier. A 6-3 aggregate scoreline was a perfect encapsulation of where the team stood at the time: capable of scoring in large amounts but also vulnerable to the opposition threat.
The January transfer window of 2018 has since become recognised as something of a sliding doors moment for Klopp's tenure at Anfield. The ability to raise £142m for a wantaway Coutinho, who eventually got his dream move to Barcelona - a figure negotiated by Edwards - allowed the club to reinvest it into two game-changing signings who turned the Reds from pretenders to contenders and, eventually, serial winners.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk wants to be part of transition after Jurgen KloppCaptain Virgil van Dijk says he 'loves' Liverpool and wants to be part of the club's transition after the departure of manager Jurgen Klopp.
Read more »
FSG assessing visit as Klopp exit plans take real shapeAll the latest off-diary Reds news as Paul Gorst brings you the titbits from around Anfield in his Liverpool Notebook
Read more »
Who is Pedro Marques, the new director of football development for Liverpool owners FSG?Marques joins FSG from Benfica, five years after helping Liverpool prepare for Champions League final by setting a team up like Tottenham
Read more »
Liverpool news and gossip - Julian Ward set for return as FSG technical directorThe latest news and gossip in brief from Liverpool...
Read more »
Julian Ward to make Liverpool return as FSG finalise two more key appointmentsJulian Ward is joining FSG as technical director, reuniting with Michael Edwards just a year after his own exit from Liverpool
Read more »
Julian Ward returns to Liverpool as FSG technical director, Pedro Marques named director of football developmentMichael Edwards has brought back former Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward as Fenway Sports Group’s (FSG) new technical director. Ward has been convinced to return to the fold a year after stepping down to take a break from football.
Read more »