In an attempt to salvage a brilliant European career at the club rather than see it end in disgrace, Jurgen Klopp is channeling the essence of Liverpool’s greatest comeback ever.
Before his team defeated Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg, Klopp gave the pregame rallying cry of his life to his teammates five years ago at the appropriately titled “Hope Street Hotel.”
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As Klopp wondered what message may spark the same comeback against Atalanta to extend his European hopes into another semi-final, his emotions were echoed in the Italian city of Bergamo. According to The Times.
“I seem to have said, ‘Let’s fail in the most elegant way possible,’ if we don’t succeed.” I see it exactly the same way again,” Klopp remarked, unavoidably brought back to that disorienting night against the Catalans in 2019.
“We want to win the game. If we want to win, we better play good. If we play good, we have a chance to win it. Then we will see. It is exactly like that.
“I usually don’t prepare these things [team speeches] like that, especially not the day before or four years before whatever. But definitely, not in the press conference before.
“My team meeting will not happen in front of the world in the press conference. If we win, the players will find a reason to tell the world what I said, and if we lose no one will want to hear.”
Pessimists will point to the fact that Klopp’s side cannot rely on the 12th man to roar them to another historic result in the Europa League quarter-final.
“What is similar? The result definitely. The performance not really,” Klopp conceded.
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