Jurgen Klopp: 'EFL Cup win is the most special trophy in my career' (1 Viewer)

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Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, described winning the EFL Cup in the 2023-24 season as the highlight of his managerial career. Despite facing numerous challenges, including several key players being absent due to injury, Liverpool managed to secure a thrilling 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley.

The match was intense from the start, with Liverpool dominating the first half despite suffering more injuries. Chelsea fought back in the second half, with a goal from Raheem Sterling disallowed for offside. Liverpool also thought they had scored through Virgil van Dijk, but the goal was controversially disallowed.

With limited options on the bench, Klopp made strategic substitutions, including bringing on younger players alongside experienced ones. In the end, it was Van Dijk who secured the win with a brilliant header in the 118th minute, sparking celebrations among the team.

This victory marked Liverpool's 10th EFL Cup win, and it kept alive their hopes of achieving a quadruple in Klopp's final season as manager. Despite his numerous accomplishments with the club, Klopp described this win as the most special moment of his career.

"What we see here today is so exceptional, we might never see again and not because I am on the sideline, because these things don't happen in football," Klopp said in his post-game press conference.

"I got told outside that there's an English phrase, 'you don't win trophies with kids' – I didn't know that. Yeah! There are longer careers than mine but in more than 20 years, [it's] easily the most special trophy I ever won. It's absolutely exceptional.

"Sometimes I get asked if I'm proud of this, proud of that, proud of that, and it's really tricky. I wish I could feel pride more often, I just don't do. Tonight there's an overwhelming feeling, 'Oh my God, what's going on here?' I was proud of everybody involved in everything here."

When asked about what winning the EFL Cup in such circumstances would do for his Liverpool "legacy", Klopp affirmed that he is not looking to leave one behind and hailed the club's supporters as a more important driving force of their lasting success.

"I couldn't care less about my legacy. I'm not here to create one. As a manager of a football club, you are there to do the job actually," Klopp added. "It's not a problem if the manager leaves or whatever, if these people would leave – our supporters – that would be a problem.

"But as long as they are the way they are, Liverpool Football Club will be fine and that's the most important thing. But for these kind of things from time to time you need something to really celebrate.