Jurgen Klopp acknowledged that the timing was awkward after taking his seat on the stage to rapturous acclaim.
“It’s nice to be back,” the former Liverpool manager told guests at a special fundraising night at Anfield for the LFC Foundation before last weekend’s legends match with Borussia Dortmund.
“It doesn’t happen often enough to be 100 per cent honest. First, it was going so good (for Liverpool on the field) and I didn’t want to jinx it. Then it’s going not so good and I didn’t want to show my face. But I had to because I committed to this so long ago.”
Awkward Timing for Klopp’s Return
Klopp has been mindful to keep his distance since his emotional goodbye in May 2024. He didn’t return to Anfield until 12 months later when he stood in the directors’ box applauding as his successor Arne Slot lifted the Premier League trophy.
The mood could hardly have been more different for Klopp’s latest visit back to Merseyside in his role as an honorary ambassador for the foundation.
Slot is under pressure and Liverpool’s troubled season is about to enter a defining period. The sight of his popular predecessor back on the Anfield touchline and being serenaded by a capacity crowd as he unleashed fist pumps in front of the Kop certainly didn’t make Slot’s life any easier.
Throw into the mix Mohamed Salah’s announcement that he will be leaving at the end of the campaign and all the tributes that followed, and Liverpool fans would be forgiven for wanting to wallow in the warm memories of recent glories.
Slot Under Pressure to Deliver
Klopp symbolises the kind of fearless, front-foot attacking brand of football which an increasingly restless fanbase is craving. Far too often this season, Slot’s Liverpool have looked like a team lacking identity. Too slow, too predictable, and at times simply boring to watch as they dominate possession but do so little with it. Being vulnerable at one end and wasteful at the other is a wretched combination.
Liverpool have gone from being crowned champions to losing 10 Premier League games in a season for the first time since 2015-16 when they finished eighth. That was the campaign when Klopp took over from Brendan Rodgers in October and led the club to two cup finals with the much maligned squad he inherited.
Expectation levels were different back then. Liverpool hadn’t followed up winning a record-equalling 20th top-flight title by embarking on the biggest spending spree in their history.
Defining Fortnight Ahead
After every crushing setback this season, Slot has delivered a rallying call that “something special” could still be salvaged and he’s been right. They’ve been fortunate that so many of their rivals have had problems of their own. Yet now we’ve reached the point of no return. The run-in, and especially the next fortnight, is where damage sustained simply can’t be repaired, with crucial games looming in the FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League.
When the dust settles after that run, Liverpool could b