One of the most enthusiastic coaches in the world, Jürgen Klopp’s passion is infectious. The German coach has also earned his fair share of success managing Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool, where he won both the Champions League and Premier League titles.
Let’s look at the eleven best players Klopp has coached to date.
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski bagged 103 goals in 187 appearances during his four-year tenure under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund. The prolific goalscorer also helped the team win Bundesliga twice, a DFB Pokal, and a Champions League runner-up in the 2013/13 season.
Mats Hummels
The German Mats Hummels, a top ball-playing defender, also excels in powerful tackles and perfectly timed interceptions. A valuable component of the German team that won the World Cup 2014, he also powered Borussia Dortmund to two titles, a German Cup, and a UEFA Champions League runners-up in 2013.
Marco Reus
Arguably one of Klopp’s top signings, the wide attacker Marco Reus helped propel Klopp’s Dortmund side to the 2013 Champions League final in his first season. The now 29-year-old now has 107 goals in 220 appearances along with 73 assists to date.
Ilkay Gundogan
German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan played a central role in Dortmund’s advancement to the 2012/13 Champions League finals. While he won runner-up, he and Klopp won the Bundesliga in 2011/12, along with a DFB-Pokal that same year.
Shinji Kagawa
The Japanese attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa excelled under Klopp’s supervision, scoring 29 goals in 71 games. He won two Bundesliga titles under Klopp and one DFB-Pokal, which he later repeated on his return visit to Dortmund after a stint at Manchester United.
Nuri Sahin
The central midfielder Nuri Sahin was once the youngest player to make his debut in the Bundesliga at the age of sixteen. He’s also the youngest scorer in Bundesliga history. Sahin’s trophy vault includes a Bundesliga title, a DFL-Supercup, and runners-up in Champions League.
Mario Gotze
Mario Gotze was once Klopp’s most prized players before he left for Bayern Munich. He won two Bundesliga and a DFB-Pokal with Klopp and famously scored the game-winning goal to help Germany win the World Cup in 2014.
Mohamed Salah
Mo Salah’s record-breaking 2017 season saw him score 43 goals across all competitions and earn both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Player of the Year awards. In addition to winning the Premier League Golden Boot with 32 domestic goals, he also helped lead the team to three Champions League finals, winning the trophy on the second attempt in 2019.
Virgil Van Dyk
Liverpool broke the world-record defensive fee to sign defender Virgil van Dijk for £75 million from Southampton in December 2017.
He has since transformed into the backbone of the defense for the Reds. The commanding Dutchman played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s Champions League title in 2019 after before losing the finals to Real Madrid the year before.
Roberto Firmino
The Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino has been a stud for Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool side. He’s scored 98 times in his 327 appearances with the club. Given his work ethic, he’s also considered the central piece of the Reds’ counter-attack system. Firmino helped Liverpool win the 2019 Champions League and Premier League the following season.
Philippe Coutinho
Signed prior to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool appointment, Philippe Coutinho nevertheless improved his game under the German coach, given his position on the left wing. He scored 54 goals in just over 200 matches with the Reds.
Sadio Mane
Klopp’s first and possibly best Liverpool signing, the Senegalese winger Sadio Mane kept opponents on edge with his attacking style and pace. With 120 goals and 48 assists n 269 games, Mane proved to be the vital catalyst that helped the Reds to Champions League and Premier League triumphs under Klopp.
Mane joined Bayern Munich for a $42M fee in the summer of 2022.
