Liverpool

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All week we are asking for your Jurgen Klopp memories as the German manager nears his final game. Send your best images to #bbcfootball on X. And send your memories of Klopp in via our form here.

Ian: Jurgen Klopp is more than just a manager of Liverpool. He is fun, caring and had Liverpool playing some of the best football I have ever seen. He is a total one-off.

Chubb: Cannot say emphatically enough how much Jurgen has done for our club. We were a wounded animal when he took over and had been weakened by a series of quite poor managers. He asked us to believe, so we did, and by gosh didn't he deliver! If he had not been competing against Manchester City all that time, he would have won almost everything going.

Oscar: For most of my life Klopp has been a massive figure in football and I am so sad to see him depart.

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Jurgen Klopp's leadership at Liverpool has been "a huge act of togetherness", according to Neil Atkinson from The Anfield Wrap.

"He's managed with emotion all the way through," Atkinson told BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday, before Klopp's final game in charge of the Reds on Sunday.

"He's harnessed what is an exceptionally emotional place and fanbase from all over the world, and that's been part of the magic of the whole thing.

"It's going to be a sad day at Anfield tomorrow. I think he's going to find himself very upset indeed, but all things must pass. He's got a life to go and live.

"Now we find ourselves at the end of this process and we've all been able to prepare for it for an extended period of time. It's no longer a shock - everyone's known it's on the cards - and we've got tomorrow to celebrate the whole thing and play a game of football."

Asked about his best memories of Klopp's time at Anfield, Atkinson added: "The whole of 2018 was incredible.

"It was the determination, I think. If I could relive one year of my life as a Liverpool supporter, it would be 2018 - despite everything in 2019.

"That was the brilliance of Klopp. It was the brilliance of the journey. There was genuinely no messing around.

"It was the greatest year to be a Liverpool supporter and that was because of Jurgen Klopp."

Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend’s final games of the season, he takes on Gladiators star Legend.

Sutton's prediction: 4-0

I can only see one outcome here. Mohamed Salah to score, Liverpool to go out with a bang under Jurgen Klopp, and send him off with a smile.

Wolves are not in great form, with only one win - and seven defeats - from their past 10 matches, and they have not been good enough as of late.

They were the club who triggered the vote over the future of video assistant referees (VAR) this summer, and they have been wronged by it this season, but Gary O'Neil needs to focus on their performances rather than decisions that are out of their control.

This game is all about Klopp and Liverpool, though. It is going to be an emotional day and I don't think there will be many dry eyes at Anfield - I'll be crying myself, even though I won't be there.

Being serious though, I am gutted he is going because he is a brilliant manager and his departure is an enormous loss to the Premier League as well as to Liverpool.

Klopp is spiky at times, but he always says what he thinks and I admire that. Most football fans will be really sad to see him go, whoever they support.

As well as what Klopp has what won, you have to appreciate how he has pushed City so hard in the seasons where they edged Liverpool to the title. He built an excellent team that could challenge them, and, without him, City would have dominated even more than they have done.

Legend's prediction: 5-1

It's Klopp's last game and it could be a big score. There will be a wild atmosphere.

Read all of Sutton's predictions for the final day of the season here

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If you haven't done so already, you have until 10:00 BST on Wednesday, 22 May to cast your vote for Liverpool's player of the season from our shortlist.

The candidates have been chosen by Reds fan writer Josh Sexton from The Anfield Wrap, external.

Find out the reasons behind his selections and make your choice here

Football Focus' Dion Dublin and Shay Given, are joined by Redmen TV's Paul Machin to discuss the legacy Jurgen Klopp is leaving as the German prepares for his final game as Liverpool manager on Sunday.

Watch Football Focus on BBC iPlayer

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Arne Slot is inspired by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, studying every small detail.

"I certainly don't want to compare myself to Pep, but he is a control freak just like me," Slot said in an interview with Voetbal International in May 2023.

"If I look at myself, I try to win a match in the week before it is played, by conveying the training, pre-match team talks and tactics to the players as perfectly as possible."

He said previously watching Guardiola's teams gives him the "ultimate joy in football".

"There is no team in the world I would rather watch than Manchester City, followed by Napoli, Arsenal and Brighton," added Slot.

"But City - and again it is not my intention to compare us with them - have a similar style of play to how we want to play with Feyenoord: 4-3-3, building up from the back, wanting to apply pressure quickly."

Last season, Leeds and Crystal Palace were said to be interested and Tottenham were very keen on his services, but Slot opted to stay in the Netherlands, where he had just won the title and was looking ahead to guiding Feyenoord in the Champions League.

Dutch legend Marco van Basten doesn't think a move to the Premier League would be a step too high.

"If you get AZ and Feyenoord to play [good] football, you will also get the big clubs to play [good] football," says Van Basten.

"I think it would only become easier for him because you have better players who understand quicker what you want. Those players are also more stubborn, but I think Slot is smart enough to manage that."

Read more on what Slot can bring to Liverpool

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Outgoing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has written an open letter to his adoptive city in which he describes it as one "of open arms".

The German will take charge of his final match when Wolves come to Anfield on Sunday, having been with the Reds since October 2015.

In a letter published in the Echo on Saturday, external, Klopp said "the biggest lesson I will take with me is that giving up is definitely not in the Scouse dictionary", adding: "I love this more than I could ever say."

And referring to the "extraordinary" homecoming parades he has experienced - in 2019, when Liverpool won the Champions League for the sixth time and also in 2022, when the Reds claimed both domestic cups but narrowly missed out on the Premier League and another European title - he said, simply: "Wow."

"On and off the pitch, we have created memories between us that will live with me forever.

"Sharing moments of success with the people could only ever be special no matter what club you are at, but the way that Liverpool does it takes it to a whole new level."

Read more about Klopp's open letter

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Jurgen Klopp is leaving Liverpool having led the club to eight trophies - including the Champions League and a first Premier League title.

But what do you know about his Black Forest roots, and his journey from second division footballer to managerial master?

Sportsworld's John Bennett takes you to Klopp's home village of Glatten, to Mainz where he was a player for a decade, then tasted promotion and relegation as a manager - and to Dortmund where he won trophies, became a celebrity and had a pop song written in his honour.

This BBC World Service programme, which won an SJA award for best audio documentary in 2021, is the comprehensive backstory of one of the most revered coaches of modern times - updated to include Klopp's nine years at Anfield and the legacy he leaves in Liverpool.

Hear from school friends, players, executives and fans about how he developed his coaching philosophy, his big personality, his gifts as an orator and the man-management skills that set him apart from many of his peers.

Listen now on BBC Sounds

Before Arne Slot announced he was going to replace Jurgen Klopp as the new Liverpool boss, the Planet Premier League podcast took a look at whether the Dutchman is the right man to replace the outgoing Reds manager.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

It is Jurgen Klopp's passion, rather than a key individual moment, that stands out for me over the years.

Especially in interviews, with some of his one-liners! His personality on the touchline when he celebrates and the way he puts his arm around players too.

Klopp has just been a really good fit for Liverpool.

They have had success and they have changed the whole football club - on and off the pitch. There has been a new training ground and the stadium has been done, as well as the squad being revamped.

Everything he has been involved in has been a whole new Liverpool.

He has done a wonderful job, with a work ethic that is second to none and with a real passion and enjoyment. His smile has changed over the years and it seems to have got a little bit brighter!

It is a sad day but I am looking forward to seeing how Anfield sends him off.

It will be special and they will do it right, I am sure of it.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

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Some people on social media are saying they will be crying come Sunday evening.

Not tears of joy at a trophy win nor of frustration at a final-day nightmare, but tears because of the closing of a chapter.

When Liverpool host Wolves on the Premier League's final day, Anfield's farewell to manager Jurgen Klopp looks set to be, to borrow a term the Merseyside youth use, 'heavy'.

Many fans did not want this day to come - like the return to work after 14 days of sea and sunshine. Others seem right up for the party and songs of farewell, though I wonder if sadness will still come for them.

In eight full seasons under the German, the Reds have never finished lower than fifth. In the eight before his arrival, they had slumped lower than that in five of them.

Klopp has brought progress and a new, more powerful synergy between player and fan. He has brought stirring comebacks. Almost every trophy worth winning has been won - and it feels like every emotion worth living has been lived by the supporters.

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A magnetic connection has blossomed between manager and fan.

Klopp stood on the touchline embodying what Liverpudlians the world over hoped to convey: attack, take it on, fight, invest yourself. Whether home, away or at a neutral venue, his side wanted to play their way.

The great Bill Shankly once said: "I want to build a team that's invincible, so that they have to send a team from bloody Mars to beat us."

There were spells when Klopp appeared to have moulded a team Shankly would have been proud of - a fan's dream and a rival's worst nightmare.

"It's much more important what people think when you leave," Klopp said in his first news conference as Liverpool manager in October 2015.

When Shankly left in 1974, the Reds won the league seven times in the next 10 years.

Change, emotional though it can be, does bring with it new horizons.

It seems only right Sunday brings a melting pot of feelings for Liverpool fans, just like the eight or more years that have gone before.

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It was a busy one at Liverpool today with plenty of media and “the documentary guys” at the club’s training ground to attend Jurgen Klopp’s final pre-match news conference before he exits stage left after Sunday’s home game against Wolves.

To start with, Klopp came in and then quickly left. Someone joked that that was going to be it, but the German quickly returned and was an open and engaging figure in what he described as the “most intense week” of his life.

He has been saying his goodbyes to the staff and players at the club, while signing shirts and reading letters from fans which have brought him to tears.

As much as he might have tried to keep it as “business as usual”, he knows this is no ordinary week as he prepares for a final farewell to the club’s fans on Sunday, which is sure to be an emotional occasion.

Among his memories, he described some of the football his side played against Manchester City at Anfield this season as the “best” they have played during his tenure as “we never controlled City like we did that day”.

Klopp also called keeper Alisson Becker’s header against West Brom his best goal and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner in the comeback win against Barcelona as the best assist. He chuckled and drew a laugh when he then joked, ‘best cross?’.

The way he spoke so highly about his time at Liverpool, the “special” city and its people, it’s clear to hear the bond he has developed with the club and its fans, who will get to show their appreciation on Sunday.

“I’m completely at peace. It’s wonderful to know I spent a big time of my life here,” said Klopp.

There was a customary booming laugh when he responded in jest that he expected to have the impact he has had.

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Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool "is a very special city" and if it needs him in the future then he will be there.

Reflecting on his nine years at the club, in a city that has his face painted on buildings in admiration, the departing manager said: "My time here has been super influential in so many ways. I know everything about this place.

"I take fantastic memories with me and friendships forever.

"The older you get, time slips through your fingers, and you look back and think, that was great. I will not forget a minute or a day of this time. I have met the best people I have ever met and I have worked for the best club I could have imagined.

"In a wonderful, very special city. Nothing is perfect nowadays but the people in this city are as close to that as possible.

"I am completely at peace. It is wonderful to know I spent a huge amount of my life here.

"I don’t imagine that the club will need my help in the future but I have got the key of the city. I'm sure for some people that is rather funny, but if the city needs me I am there. I want to be helpful in whatever way.

"The club means the world to so many people. We have very special supporters and the last nine years has meant the world to them, so I am happy with that."

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Arne Slot arrives at Liverpool with the future of some of the club's biggest stars up in the air.

Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all out of contract in the summer of 2025.

While captain and Netherlands defender Van Dijk has said he wants to be part of the club's transition after the departure of Klopp, it remains to be seen if Salah will finish his career at Anfield.

With 211 club goals - including 25 in 2023-24 despite a serious hamstring injury - since joining from Roma in 2017, Salah remains a prize asset.

Liverpool will not want the Egypt forward, who turns 32 in June, to walk away for nothing, but it is understood talks between the club and the player about a new contract are yet to start.

Will Slot build a team around Alexander-Arnold?

Former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy said: "I don't think getting Trent signed up will be a problem because he is a local lad who loves Liverpool."

Slot is known for giving young talent a chance.

With Jarell Quansah, 21, Conor Bradley, 20, and 19-year-old Stefan Bajcetic plus others, Slot will be excited at the exciting young flair he has at his disposal.

Read more about what the new Liverpool boss could bring

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Carteret Analytics - which provides detailed manager assessments to Premier League, EFL, Bundesliga and MLS clubs - has assessed Arne Slot and compared his style of football to that of Jurgen Klopp's, using quantitative metrics indicating strengths and weaknesses (as at 30 April 2024).

The company says: "There are some similarities between the two managers. Both Slot and Klopp are strong advocates of 4-3-3 formations which might assist with a transition of the current Liverpool squad from Klopp to Slot, and both enjoy identical levels of possession.

"Nevertheless, there is a notable difference in how Slot and Klopp implement the 4-3-3 formation. If Klopp is heavy metal football, then Slot is classical music.

"Slot has similarly high levels of possession, but the build and transition through the phases - from defence to attack - is much slower. Slot's teams do also seem to be more 'leaky', allowing the opposition to convert more shots to goals."

Slot has a high level of 'football intelligence', according to Carteret Analytics, and a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of his own players.

But the Dutchman "may need to adapt" in order to achieve similar levels of success as Klopp.

"He has the advantage of being well versed in a 4-3-3 formation, and as such the current Liverpool players do not have to adapt to a completely different style of play or formations," the analysts add.

"However, the pace of play could be dramatically different if Slot continues with his current approach at Feyenoord.

"And it is this that raises a key question for Liverpool supporters who have become accustomed to a particular attacking style of play under Klopp.

"Will they be happy with a much more methodical and, by comparison, pedestrian style of play?

"Or, instead of the players and supporters having to adapt to a slower style of play, could Slot himself swap his preferred classical music football for a bit more heavy metal and increase the tempo and speed of transition from defence to attack?"

Read more on what Slot brings to Liverpool here

After Feyenoord coach Arne Slot confirmed he will succeed Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss next season, here's another chance to watch The Football News Show's look at the Dutchman.

Thiago Alcantara remains the most exciting signing of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool era.

When he arrived from Bayern Munich, he had just won the Champions League and been crowned man of the match in the final.

He was arguably the best midfielder on the planet and his performances for Liverpool did nothing to suggest otherwise. The problem is: there were simply not nearly enough of them because of injury after injury after injury.

Thiago was forced off on his Liverpool debut against Everton, the same match in which Virgil van Dijk ruptured his cruciate ligament.

There were periods when the mercurial Spaniard found fitness and form, but they never lasted long.

Liverpool fans, though, will always have his performance against Manchester United in the 4-0 Anfield walloping in 2022. It was genuinely one of the best, most technically brilliant, midfield outings the stadium has seen.

Then you have Joel Matip - he is one of the best free transfers in Premier League history. He is physical, tall, brilliant in the air and even better on the ball.

The Reds eventually fell in love with the Cameroonian after a tricky start, and pairing him with Van Dijk certainly helped.

Like Thiago, injuries held Matip back - but he was a key figure in our Champions League and Premier League victories.

Fans will remember his ability to dribble the ball out from the back and go on one of his gangly, but brilliant, runs towards the opposition box.

This summer, Liverpool will need a proper defensive midfielder and a new centre-back to replace them.

Jordan Chamberlain can be found at Empire of the Kop, external

German journalist and author Raphael Honigstein sums up the Jurgen Klopp era at Liverpool - and why all of English football should be grateful that the 'Normal One' graced our game.

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Jurgen Klopp says "it is business as usual" as Liverpool prepare to host Wolves, but admits to "very emotional moments in between".

The Reds boss, who will take charge of Liverpool for the last time at Anfield on Sunday (16:00 BST kick-off), says he has already started saying his goodbyes to the staff and players at the training ground.

"There have been great moments already. Yesterday, the players said goodbye and we had a BBQ and that was really nice.

"We don’t have to pretend it is not real because it is, but it is also business as usual.

"It is a lot and I have very emotional moments in between, but there is a lot to do as well."

Klopp became Liverpool boss in October 2015 and, after a trophy-laden spell at Anfield, he has decided now is the right time to leave the club.

"Saying goodbye is never nice," he added. "But saying goodbye without feeling sad and hurt means the time you spent together was not right. This has been so it was clear it was always going to be tough.

"I still want us to play top football [against Wolves].

"It would be cool if it was not a goodbye atmosphere too and it was a football one - because that will help.

"I was never wanting to disturb the game but in this moment I probably am. Standing here and pretending it is a normal game is a challenge.

"But I hope, all together, we can put a really good performance on the pitch because we deserve that."