What Jürgen Klopp said at Liverpool farewell event as digs aimed at Man Utd and Chelsea

Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp said a final farewell to Liverpool fans on Tuesday night when he attended a special one-off event at the M&S Bank Arena in the city centre.

The venue was sold out as fans showed their appreciation for the German who ended his 30-year wait for a Premier League title in 2019/20, a year after adding a sixth Champions League trophy in Liverpool’s collection. Klopp completed the kit during his eight-and-a-half-year tenure at the Reds as he also won the FA Cup, League Cup (twice), Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Klopp was an emotional figure on stage as fans sang his name for the final time, with the 56-year-old breaking down in tears on stage. He has already said his official goodbyes at Anfield after Liverpool beat Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the Premier League season, but wanted to have one last “good time” before officially leaving.

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The German joked when he took to the stage at the M&S Bank Arena that he was the third Scouser after Paul McCartney and Jamie Webster to sell out the venue. Klopp then made the ultimate admission to Liverpool fans, summing up their relationship since 2015.

Klopp only stayed at Liverpool until 2024 after getting permission from his wife Ulla, who is also a hugely popular figure in the red half of Merseyside. The fans even thanked Ulla in the final game of the season as he allowed Liverpool to keep Klopp at bay for longer than expected.

Live on stage, Klopp declared that joining Liverpool was the second best decision of his life. “Apart from marrying Ulla, joining Liverpool was the best decision of my life,” Klopp said, to huge cheers from the fans.

He then added to his heritage further, saying that he initially thought he would come to England before realizing the difference between the rest of the country and Liverpool. Klopp stated that upon arrival he realized he had moved to “Scouse Land” and not England.

Klopp was asked some cheeky questions by host John Bishop, who mentioned Manchester City’s ongoing investigation into 115 allegations of financial fair play. With Liverpool having been beaten to the title by City twice under Klopp and with their punishment unlikely to see them lose the titles, Klopp was asked what he would do if Liverpool were crowned champions pending the inquiry.

“If you organize a bus parade, I go in! I don’t care how long it takes,” Klopp said. The German then fired shots at both Chelsea and Manchester United in separate statements. Klopp initially addressed his relationship with Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group when asked about the support they have given him, but managed to shift the conversation to Chelsea owner Todd Boehly.

“Owners do what owners do, surprise! Owners want to make money. I’m sorry to tell you that,” Klopp added. “It’s not like they’re making money every day: they’re investing something and that’s how the whole world goes. We should be very happy to have them and not guys who bought London clubs.

“I wouldn’t have survived a year at Liverpool. At the end of the day they (Chelsea) play football that everyone thinks they can turn around and then they fire the manager anyway.”

Klopp was then asked about his management style and indirectly called out Erik ten Hag for the way he handled the Jadon Sancho situation. “If the whole world loses faith and trust in the player, the manager has to be the one behind the player,” he added. “I can’t believe ‘it’s pointless’ as other clubs have done, by the way — buying a player for £80m (Sancho) and then sending him out on loan!”

From one Dutch manager to another, with Klopp sidelined Liverpool have already agreed terms with Arne Slot, who will face the mammoth task of replacing the German this summer. Slot was previously linked with Tottenham Hotspur but stayed at Dutch giants Feyenoord and left the club after winning the KNVB Cup.

Klopp confirmed he had spoken to Liverpool’s new management team ahead of Slot’s arrival and assured fans they would be in safe hands. “I have spoken to almost everyone in the new management team. He is a very good manager,” Klopp said.

The event wasn’t complete until Klopp did a final fist pump in front of the crowd, with 11,000 fans joining in. Klopp may no longer be Liverpool boss, but he will always be the talk of the town for what he has done.

Liverpool.com says: The event was an emotional occasion that completely suits the relationship between the Reds fans and the outgoing manager. He will become a legend and welcome back anytime. For many in attendance, this will be a form of closure, knowing that the day will be months away.