With his winner’s medal around his neck and a celebratory shirt, Jurgen Klopp cut a relaxed and joyful figure after Liverpool’s FA Cup triumph.
Here are five points from our FA Cup-winning manager from Wembley:
You can see what it means!
From players and fans alike, the significance of the FA Cup was evident throughout the day and after the intense schedule so far, Klopp was appreciative of everything he saw – on the pitch, and off it.
“This is a trophy for the whole club. We saw what it means for the people before the game, our hotel is pretty central and we saw them partying already.
“On the pitch, with the performance, you saw what it means to the players.
“That we could make is absolutely out of this world. It’s unbelievable, it’s massive.”
Mo and Van Dijk update
After seeing Fabinho go down earlier in the week, the sight of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk being forced off was not a calming sight.
But Klopp was relatively positive but with a trip to Southampton only three days away, he could not speak on their chances of being available.
“I spoke to both after the game, both are really okay. What we know is that it’s not a big thing,” Klopp said.
“But the next game is on Tuesday and that’s obviously, pretty quick. I think they will both be fine, but we will see.”
Fingers crossed!
Penalty mentality praise
Penalties take a different kind of mentality and execution – especially after 120 minutes.
And Liverpool have now come out victorious twice in a shootout this season, and Klopp was quick to credit the work of Neuro11 once more.
“In the end we all know penalty shoot-out is a lottery, that’s how it is; but we did it again,” Klopp explained.
“We work together with the company Neuro11, four guys from Germany.
“They got in contact with us a few years ago. They are neuroscientists and they said ‘we can train penalty shooting’.
“We said ‘really? That sounds interesting, come over’. And so this trophy is for them, just like the Carabao Cup was.”
Klopp’s role for Sadio’s penalty
Sadio Mane was the only Liverpool player to see his penalty saved, but Klopp is taking some of the responsibility after attempting some mind games with the No. 10’s international teammate.
“Sadio’s penalty is maybe, at least, 50 percent my responsibility,” Klopp explained.
“I have to let the boys do what they do, but with him I said, ‘you know, he knows exactly the goalie [Mendy] so do it the other way around’.
“How often in my life do I realise that it’s better to shut up!”
In the end, all was well!
‘So many special stories’
This team is something else, truly special and we are privileged to watch them week in and week out. And it was not lost on Klopp either.
“Winning both domestic cups is really special. Trent Alexander-Arnold is the youngest player to have won all six major trophies at 23,” Klopp said.
“So many special stories.
“After the game, I said to Thiago if I would have known what a player you are, I would have signed you four years earlier.
“He said, ‘you taught me running’. I’ll take that,” he said with a smile.
“Jordan Henderson, obviously, James Milner, it’s really cool.”
Drink it in, Reds!
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