Jurgen Klopp threw a party at his house on the night that Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona, according to the Times.
The newspaper claim that the Anfield manager hosted a bash at his Formby home for his backroom team in the immediate wake of the £142million exit of Coutinho.
The Times report the two events were not linked but Klopp used the party to offer “public reassurance to those in the room” that Liverpool would not be knocked off course by the sale of such a key player.
OPINION
This anecdote is a revealing insight into Klopp’s masterful management, not just of the players in the senior side who have been catapulted to new heights just months after the third biggest transfer deal in history, but also of the club staff who work with him day to day. The German alchemist knows the value of everyone buying into his vision, not only those who pull on the boots to win matches. Klopp’s firm belief that Liverpool could thrive without the brilliance of Coutinho has immediately been proved correct, whatever the outcome of Saturday’s Champions League final in Kiev. He cuts an emotional figure on the sideline – sometimes overly so – but off the pitch he is highly intelligent, clear thinking and has a gift for building a team, implementing a playing style and getting players to buy into what he wants them to do. He also understands the value of communication and delivering a key message. All followed by that mad scientist smile.
