Last day heroics are nothing new to Klopp
FOR the second season running, Jurgen Klopp faces a final game shoot-out to clinch qualification to the Champions League.
A year ago Liverpool missed out when they lost the Europa League Final against Sevilla in Basel.
Today a home win over relegated Middlesbrough will clinch a top-four spot regardless of results elsewhere.
“Have a look at my career,” he says. “My seasons always seem to depend on the last match.
“I would like to change it, but it is part of my life. Most decisions in football are made in the last moment and I am completely used to working and being concentrated until the last minute, until the end.
“The bigger your desire is, the more likely you will have this kind of final day. For me, it’s a normal situation.”
In a week in which Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola suggested he would have been sacked if he’d produced this sort of campaign at either Barcelona or Bayern Munich, Klopp also expresses gratitude for owners who will not be looking to replace him should Liverpool fail today.
“I have the backing of the owners, 100%,” he says.
“They showed that in the moment they offered me a new contract when there was absolutely no need.
“Their thoughts are completely independent from this game. But, of course, we all would feel much better if we win.
“They think that what we have now is perfect for the club’s development and that’s what we all believe.
“I have pressure because I’ve played football since I was five years old and I want to win each game, but that’s easy to deal with.
“I’m a really lucky guy because I’ve never had pressure from owners, so I cannot really say how it would be in another situation.
“I always had really great support from my bosses in the past.
“They’ve really wanted for us all to be successful together. Our owners here are really supportive.
“We have a good team already with still space for improvement. We have good coaches. We did a lot of good things around the team.
“We think we have a situation now where we can be more successful in the future.
“This is a special project because we have this unbelievable, powerful club behind us.
“It would be nice to say I would have settled for having Champions League qualification in our own hands on the last day, but it’s really not the truth because at the beginning of any season I don’t set myself limits.
“I always dream of the biggest things and, of course, in one or two moments of the season I was just as disappointed as the fans.
“But these players deserve Champions League football. This is a special season because it doesn’t happen too often that you need 76 points to be sure of qualification.
“They were always ready to bounce back in different situations, and were always focused.
“So yes, they really deserve it.”