05/19/24 12:17:00
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05/19 12:15 CDT Jurgen Klopp signs off with a win in emotionally charged final
match as Liverpool manager
Jurgen Klopp signs off with a win in emotionally charged final match as
Liverpool manager
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) --- In many ways, it was business as usual for Jurgen
Klopp.
He touched the "This is Anfield" sign in the tunnel on the way out to the pitch.
He patrolled the middle of the field with his hands behind his back during the
warmups, watching his own team --- and then, with that trademark glare, his
opponents.
He waved to fans behind the Liverpool dugout and tapped his heart just before
kickoff, before soaking in the pre-match rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone."
"This morning I woke up," Klopp said Sunday before the final match of his
transformational, nearly nine-year stint in charge of Liverpool, "and I was
completely in game mode."
This, of course, was no normal day for Klopp.
The 2-0 win over Wolverhampton on a sunny day at Anfield doubled as a tribute
to a coach who led Liverpool to seven major trophies and forged such a
connection with the city that he has been compared to Bill Shankly --- the
club's legendary manager from 1959-74.
No wonder he looked emotional throughout an afternoon that Liverpool fans never
wanted to come.
They lined the streets outside Anfield to welcome Klopp and his players, and
then produced a paper mosaic of the word "JURGEN" in the stand opposite the
dugouts.
"People are calling it The Last Dance. So let's dance," he told Sky Sports just
off the field before the match began -- and Liverpool obliged by strolling to
one final victory for Klopp thanks to goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell
Quansah.
Klopp embraced each member of his backroom staff and also Wolves manager Gary
O'Neil after the final whistle blew. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was in
tears as he hugged Klopp near the center circle.
Liverpool finished third in the standings, nine points behind champion
Manchester City.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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