Paris / London : Jürgen Klopp, coach of Liverpool FC:
Does this year mean something different for you and your family ?
"This is completely different this year, so it's for them as well. And that's great. It's for our supporters as well, but for our owners as well, because they never put real pressure on us, they appreciate the development, they see the steps we make. It's for them as well, it's great. (It's) for the players - we were all pretty much crying on the pitch because it was so emotional, it was so big, it means so much to us. But, on the other hand, I should've said it probably first of all, I know how Tottenham feel in this moment better than anybody else in the world. They played a sensational season as well, and they would've deserved it as well, obviously. But tonight, we scored the goals at the right moment.
But, I told (Pochettino) directly after the game that he should be really proud of what they did this year as well. So yes, that's it."
Jürgen Klopp, coach of Liverpool FC: What does this title mean to you personally in your career?
"I'm surprised in this moment... Look, I've said it many times - we spoke two days ago about my unlucky career...
When I hear it, I think: "Yeah, people could see it like this", but I don't feel it to be honest because I've always been able to get to finals as well, because that's important for me as well, and I think my life is much better than I ever expected it. So, winning something is good - it's cool. But it's for all the other people; I'm not so involved in it.
I'm just involved in the development but I get it, we have to win things. It's really important for us now that people don't ask all the time about not winning or winning. So, now we've won something, we will carry on. We will win and we want to win things, 100%. This group, and I said it, this is only the start for this group.
So, there is still a wonderful age group, they all have the best times in their career still ahead of them, so that's big. For me, I'm really happy. I have a lot of silver medals and now I have a golden one so, that will be next to the silver medals in my house and that's cool. But, I am also really happy for all the other people. But you see now, in the dressing room, everybody feels it, but you cannot really, you don't really know what to do with it. But, tomorrow, I'm really sure, when we drive through the city, we will all realise what these boys have done. That's the best moment, for sure."
Q: We've heard you say, I think it was last year, that in football there's a non-written rule that says: when the matches are won it's thanks to the players but when they are lost it's because of the manager. Today you made a change, (Roberto) Firmino instead of (Divock) Origi, and in the end Origi scored the goal that sealed the match. Did the manager win a little bit today or was it only the players again?
"Oh I'm fine with that. That's absolutely okay, yes. My job is to take on all the responsibility and I like that actually, because it gives my players the freedom to play football. And that's how I understand it. Sometimes, it would be easier to understand it in a different way, but that's how I understand it. So, that's why I said tonight that I'm so happy for the players. I'm really happy for my family.
There will be a moment when I'm completely overwhelmed for myself, maybe. But, look at my coaches, what we all did during the year to try to take the next steps when we started in Evian in the training camps, bringing in these players and knowing they need time, but we have to win football games from the start, and all that stuff. It was difficult, but it feels so good: 97 points. Now you can say it: 97 points in the league is incredible and winning the Champions League. That's an unbelievably long way to go and we did it. That's incredible. But, after the final last year, when we came home to Liverpool, it was not cool. But, one of my friends is a singer, and my assistant coach is pretty good at making songs.
And we sang a song, actually: "We saw the European Cup, but missed all the f***ing luck. We keep on being cool, we'll bring it back to Liverpool." Nobody thought at that moment that it would happen. We have a German version for it as well. In that moment, it was only to lift our mood a little bit. And now it happened actually, so we need to think about what we will sing tonight, because obviously it means something."
