TO THE TOP How Klopp’s tennis clashes turned Reds into smash hits
EXCLUSIVE
JURGEN KLOPP’S secret sporting passion can now be revealed – padel tennis.
And Pep Lijnders, Klopp’s trusted right-hand man at Liverpool, claims the Kop boss is king of the court – and even struts around like flashy Irish UFC star Conor McGregor when he wins big in games at the club’s Melwood training ground.
German boss Klopp and his stars have nailed their first League title in 30 years and will celebrate fully today after their final game of the season at Newcastle. And Dutch coach Lijnders admits some of their best tactical ideas have been hatched while playing the game, a mix of squash and tennis on a small indoor court with glass walls.
Lijnders said: “We started playing about four years ago during our training camp in Tenerife.
“Our media officer looked up the rules of the game on the internet. We didn’t know he had given us the wrong rules until a Spanish guy came and asked what we were doing! We said, ‘Playing padel tennis.’
“He laughed and said, ‘Well, you don’t play it like that!’ “The owners built a court at Melwood and we play almost every day.
“Jurgen is fanatical – and he’s good too. But we never say he’s the best, otherwise he starts to walk round like Conor McGregor.” “The game has been a pleasant distraction and we often come up with the best ideas during games. We sit down on a bench in between sets and we discuss any football problems. We do that a lot.
“When you are constantly playing matches or doing training sessions every day, there is no time to wind down. So these games are the perfect time to relax.”
And uber-competitive Klopp takes no prisoners on the court. Lijnders, 37, added: “He battles for every point. Even when I am winning, he get right under my skin, the bugger. So when I do beat him, I let everyone at the club know!’’
Lijnders moved to Anfield in 2014 after coaching at Dutch second division side NEC.
He said: “The crowning of Liverpool as champions was always going to be something special but it only dawned on me what winning the championship meant for Liverpool when I got bags of letters from the official fan club in my home country.
“Liverpool win the Champions League, the European Super Cup, the World Club Cup and finally the Premier League. All that in one year! It’s been amazing.’’
Meanwhile, Lijnders says the Reds are “sitting on a pile of gold” after changing their strategy from a selling club to one who keep their best players.
And he believes that was the catalyst for turning them from Premier League nearly men to kings of the football world.
Lijnders believes Liverpool could not have been champions if they’d kept on selling stars like Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling who departed for Barcelona and Manchester City before Klopp arrived.
Although the Reds were powerless to stop Philippe Coutinho joining Barcelona for £142million in 2018, a switch in their policy when Klopp joined the club in 2015.
And it’s meant stars like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane have stayed when previously they might have been sold.
Lijnders said: “The difference between the Europe’s elite and other big clubs is the elite keep their best players.
“For a long time Liverpool belonged to the other category of selling players. Players left because they could move to the elite, one more step up.
“When we won the Champions League last season, we knew that was the moment to keep this squad together. If ypu do that, it will have more impact than the biggest transfer you can think of.
“And more than anything I love adding youth to a team. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez have improved this team too.
“You can only bring those young gems into the first team when you have a steady and stable team.’’