Liverpool's dramatic Europa League win over Borussia Dortmund earlier this month is a tie that will go down in Anfield folklore.
But for Reds and former Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp, it was a bittersweet success.
The
Premier League side claimed a remarkable 4-3 second leg victory to send
the Germans out, though Klopp admits his close affinity with Dortmund
made it something of a strange experience.
Jurgen Klopp reacts after Liverpool knocked his former team Borussia Dortmund out of the Europa League
Klopp admits sending his old club out of Europe at Anfield was something of a bittersweet experience
The former Dortmund boss consoles Mats Hummels (right) after the German side were beaten by Liverpool
'The
morning after the game was completely different because usually after a
match like that, you wake up and you think: "Oh great, what a wonderful
thing,"' Klopp told UEFA.com.
'This time I was not in the best shape, to be honest, and I had no real idea why. Then I realised: "Ah yes, they lost."'
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'I
had seven wonderful years at Dortmund and I knew how they felt. I knew
what they would have done in the hotel and how it would have been when
they woke up and all met for breakfast.
'I knew what the mood would have been like.'
Liverpool
went into the second leg of their quarter-final with Dortmund level at
1-1, but the German side moved 2-0 and then 3-1 ahead on the night and
looked home and hosed for the last four.
Klopp's men had other ideas though as goals from Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren completed the comeback and sent Anfield wild.
Dejan Lovren celebrates his goal which secured Liverpool's comeback win over Dortmund at Anfield
Lovren receives congratulations from Klopp after helping to set up a Europa League semi-final with Villarreal
Recalling
that famous night ahead of the semi-final trip to Villarreal, Klopp
continued: 'To be honest I was fine with the draw, but when I looked at
the clock then I thought:
"Oh, 77 minutes, there's a little bit to go!"
I didn't expect it though – you cannot expect a wonder.
'When
we scored again, it was more of a shock than a real joy. At the end,
when I saw all the happy faces after the game, I knew it was a special
night.
JURGEN KLOPP'S LIVERPOOL RECORD
'You cannot have 500 of those. If you are a really lucky guy, you maybe get 10 in your life.'
A
hugely popular figure at Anfield, Klopp has quickly endeared himself to
the Premier League with his eccentric pitch side antics and press
conference mannerisms.
The
German went through the full range of emotions in the second leg with
Dortmund and his media interviews regularly seem to catch the attention
of football fans across the world.
Klopp's
popularity in his time with Dortmund once saw him refer to his style of
play as 'heavy metal football' but looking back, the 48-year-old says
it's a reference he regrets.
Klopp's various touchline antics and emotions mean he's always showing his passion during the 90 minutes
'I
want my team to win – that is it. I want our game to be easy to enjoy,
because I think the only real reason for football is to entertain the
crowd,' he said.
'If they (fans) come twice and say it is boring, then they will think about whether they want to come again.
'We are a ball possession team, but nobody realises it because my image is pressing and counter-pressing.
'When
I was younger, I called it things like 'heavy metal football'. I have
no idea why I said that, but I do like the spectacular.
'When I am in a room with people I try to make sure the atmosphere is not worse when I am there.
'When I am involved in a game, I try to help ensure it is more enjoyable than when I am not involved.'
Liverpool and Klopp are preparing for their Europa League first leg tie away to Villarreal on Thursday
A
man who kicks every ball with his side, Klopp's touchline antics are
always a source of amusement to those watching on both on TV and in the
stands.
The tie with Villarreal is also likely to see Klopp highly animated once again with a place in a European final on the line.
Asked
why he always seems so on edge, Klopp admitted: 'To be honest I have no
real idea! It is completely different in different games.
'Not
all the things I do really make sense. Sometimes it is for me so I feel
better and feel involved and most of the time it is for the players.'
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