Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool glory days in Rome can inspire us in Champions League semi-final
Jurgen Klopp will be drawing inspiration from watching re-runs of Liverpool’s greatest European triumphs in Rome as he plots his side’s path towards another Champions League final.
Liverpool were guaranteed a nostalgia trip no matter who they met in the last four, but having been paired with Roma, the Stadio Olimpico is the most romantic of destinations. It was the scene of two of Liverpool’s five European Cup wins, in 1977 and 1984.
Such victories contributed to the Merseyside club’s stellar reputation on the continent. Klopp says he and his players will be stirred by the achievements of those legendary teams as they seek to replicate them. That is why he will be seeking the DVDs of those heroic nights.
“I will watch them for sure because it is destiny (to go back),” said Klopp.
“It is long ago, but maybe I will find something that helped make this place even more remarkable or special for Liverpool.
“(It is like) if any German goes to Bern in Switzerland, he cannot avoid thinking about the 1954 (World Cup Final when West Germany beat Hungary 3-2).
“There are not a lot of people around on the planet from that time but it is just a special place. You think, ‘Ok, it happened here, well done, all these guys’. That is how it is.”
Klopp, like all Liverpool managers, must carefully tread the line between respecting a glorious past while enhancing the honours board rather than being in awe of it.
He understands there will be a fortnight of recollections of Bob Paisley’s extraordinary team winning the European Cup for the first time with a 3-1 win against Borussia Monchengladbach in 1977, and Bruce Grobbelaar unnerving Roma penalty takers in the shoot-out that won it for Joe Fagan against the hosts in 1984.
“It is the place, it is not who did what,” said Klopp.
“I love our history but it is not allowed to compare us constantly. Those teams were great and they did it like they did it.
“You judge history when you watch back. I am really happy we are in a situation where we are focused on this group. The legends we all love are around and they are clapping because they like this. Kenny Dalglish is over the moon and completely on fire. Steven Gerrard and all the other guys in between, you can feel it and see it. That’s cool. It’s normal when you go to a semi-final especially after a long time.”
It is not only Liverpool as a club returning to familiar territory. For Mo Salah there is the chance to face former teammates, Roma immediately offering a welcome back message to the Egyptian via social media, which was reciprocated,
Salah left Roma for £39 million last July and has since elevated his status to become one of the most celebrated players in the world.
Klopp revealed how the Liverpool dressing room is dealing with the attention the prolific goalscorer is receiving.
“It is a really good group and with Mo everyone really likes the hype around him, all the boys,” he said.
“When we came out for the Champions League training before Manchester City, I said, ‘Come on everybody, let’s go out naked because no-one will realise, they are just looking at Mo’. No problem.
“Mo is so thankful. Now we go to Rome I don’t think the hype will be a little bit less.”
Speaking to CNN before the draw, Salah said he still keeps in touch with his friends in Italy.
“It's my old club. I love the fans there and they love me too,” he said.
“I still talk to most of the players there. We were very close to each other and we are good friends.
Why I'm expecting a Liverpool vs Bayern final
“Of course, I have happy memories. We played together for two years and were fighting together in all the games. We had a good time in the dressing room.”
There are also links between Liverpool and Roma at boardroom level, both owned by Boston investors. The American ownership group which purchased the Italian club in 2011 was led by Thomas R. DiBenedetto, who prior to the takeover was a partner in Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s owners.
DiBenedetto has sinced stepped aside as chairman, Roma now led by another Bostonian, James Pallotta. Like Liverpool, they are fourth in their domestic league.
Before the first leg at Anfield on April 24, and return eight days later, Klopp has demanded his player re-focus on domestic duty, starting with a Premier League meeting with Bournemouth on Saturday.
“When I hear people say we are already qualified for the Champions League (next season), how can we think it not possible Chelsea will win the next three?” said Klopp.
“We should concentrate only on Rome? Wow. Bournemouth is really difficult, West Brom may be relegated and thinking completely free to create a good football game for their supporters and then Stoke might see it as their last chance. It is full throttle.
“When you are constantly told you are fantastic, it is the first step towards not being fantastic any more. We have to stay really angry.”
The omen
The last time the 4 semi-finalists were from Italy, England, Germany and Spain was in 1981. The winners were Liverpool.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 13, 2018
The 2018 semi-finals
Der #FCBayern trifft im @ChampionsLeague-Halbfinale auf @realmadrid! #FCBRMA#RMAFCB#packmas#MiaSanMia#UCLdrawpic.twitter.com/FzkHDWfDbc
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) April 13, 2018
The #UCLdraw has been made...
We'll be facing @OfficialASRoma in the semi-finals of the @ChampionsLeague. pic.twitter.com/jZFkhpeMv9— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 13, 2018
Schedule
Matches take place on 24/25 April and 1/2 May.
That draw again
Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
Liverpool vs Roma
The home team in the final ...
Will be the winner of the first semi-final (Bayern or Real).
Semi-final two
Liverpool vs Roma
Semi-final two will be Roma v Liverpool. Who's at home first?
Liverpool
Semi-final one
Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
Semi-final one
Bayern Munich
After 15 minutes of balls
We come to the balls ...
Before the draw
A chat with Andriy Shevchenko - the same one we had during the group stage, round of 16 and quarter-final draws. For pity's sake. Get on with it!
After the sales' spiel
Here comes Signor Marchetti with some bigging up of the teams.
Meanwhile ...
Bayern have announced Eintracht Frankfrt's Niko Kovac will be their new manager from July.
Sportdirektor Hasan Salihamidžić bei #FCBayernTVlive: "Niko Kovač wird ab dem 1. Juli 2018 neuer Trainer des #FCBayern. Wir haben uns gestern auf einen Dreijahresvertrag geeinigt." #MiaSanMia@Brazzopic.twitter.com/x5qNNALWEL
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) April 13, 2018
Vitali Klitschko
As the mayor of Kiev is now telling us about the capital's position as 'the true sports city'.
Here we go with Pedro Pinto
Rounding up the 'magnificent, sensational quarter-final action.' We will soon find out the opponents for the 'illustrious four'. But first, some enthusiastic boosting for Kiev as a tourist destination ...
Roma's great graphic
Romulus and Remus are suckled while the pendulum swings:
Respect for everyone. Fear of no-one. DAJE ROMA! ��#ASRoma#UCLdraw#UCLpic.twitter.com/PgPGNHfPzc
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 13, 2018
One amusing thing every Champions League draw is to keep your eye out for the conspiracists on social media who claim it's fixed. One interesting thing is that Liverpool and Roma fans, marginally, think it more likely that the stiffest test they'll be, er, stiffed with is Bayern Munich rather than Real Madrid while both of them think they'll get each other.
I think Real Madrid's defence will be tested most by Liverpool and Liverpool's by the holders' attack.
Mohamed Salah bags another hat-trick
On the threshold of the semi-final draw:
He's done it again… ������@22mosalah has become the first-ever player to win the @PremierLeague Player of the Month award three times in the same season: https://t.co/0zoJdRrCMTpic.twitter.com/QVhZHJZNXj
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 13, 2018
Good afternoon
And welcome to coverage of the Champions League semi-final draw when Liverpool, Real Madrid, Roma and Bayern Munich learn their fate. It also gives us the penultimate opportunity of the season to marvel at the work of Uefa's Giorgio Marchetti, our host and master of ceremonies, all-round family entertainer and the saviour of civilisation.
Liverpool, being Liverpool and five-time winners, have history with all possible opponents, beating Bayern Munich in the 1981 semis before their Bugsy Kennedy-inspired victory over Real Madrid in the final that year. Three years later they went to Rome, scene of their 1977 maiden triumph, and beat Roma in the Stadio Olimpico on penalties, partly by virtue of a sensational defensive performance from the outstanding Mark Lawrenson. Memories of trips to Rome, even that one, come with more painful scars from attacks by certain ultras so all the talk of it being the dream tie, I think, comes with distinct equivocations.
Real Madrid played Bayern Munich in the semis in 2014 and 2012, Bayern winning the first on penalties, Real the second and again in last year's quarter-finals. When Real won those ties they went on to win the tournament, Bayern were defeated by Chelsea in the final.
Roma beat Real Madrid in the Round of 16 10 years ago and have one victory over Bayern in four meetings, 3-2 at home in the group stages in 2010 but lost the other three.
We'll find out imminently who will face whom so join us from 'the house of football', for Pedro Pinto, Andriy Shevchenko, Marchetti and four beautiful, spherical balls.