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Bring the Noise: The Jürgen Klopp Story
JüKlopp's coaching career began in the German second tier at the unfashionable club of FSV Mainz 05, whom he steered to the Bundesliga for the first time in forty-one years. In 2008, he joined Borussia Dortmund, where he achieved back-to-back league titles and took the club to the UEFA Champions League final. He left Germany for one of the England's most challenging to manage Liverpool, a once-mighty club that had not managed sustained success since the 1980s. It was not a task for the fainthearted. Anfield, Liverpool's home, is a temple to flamboyant attacking soccer powered by passion. In Klopp, Liverpool finally found a manager who embodied the essence of the club. Klopp is dynamic, expressive, restless, driven-he feels every move and play, every tactical shift, every contact on the field. His eyes betray a wild ecstasy and agony as his team thrives or falls. His game plan demands relentless commitment-the famous gegenpress-and he is one of the great personal motivators in all sport. Raphael Honigstein, author of Das Reboot and Budesliga correspondent for the Guardian, has interviewed Klopp and followed his career since his early years, and better than anyone knows how to "bring the noise" to his subject.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2017
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About the author
Raphael Honigstein
22 books66 followersRaphael Honigstein is a German journalist and author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
July 29, 2020
Whilst a generally interesting read for football fans, the biggest issue with Honigstein's book is that it falls between two stools, being neither a detailed biography of Jurgen Klopp, nor an extensive expose of his tactical philosophy. If the benchmark for recent football managerial studies is 'Pep Confidential' by Marti Perarnau then 'Bring the Noise' comes about as close as Liverpool's title challenge in the 17/18 season i.e. disappointingly (but predictably) short. That said, although both the study of the man and of his tactics seem half-baked, there are a few interesting conclusions that can be drawn from Klopp's story - ones which are useful to consider in the context of the current direction that Liverpool FC are heading.
First, Honigstein's various interviews make it clear that Klopp is a classic football romantic: the journey and the experience are almost equally important to him as the final result. For Mainz, Dortmund & Liverpool, in both victories and gut-wrenching defeats (of which many have rightly noted Klopp has a disproportionately high number for his time in the game) he makes constant references to "our story", "our dream" etc. There's a particularly revealing interview after Dortmund pulled off a famous underdog victory against Malaga in 2013 to reach the Champions League semi-finals: "My motivation as a coach is to collect that kind of stuff, for people to tell and retell it. Football is a shared collection of stories, a shared history, an identity. You win and you lose, but you're with people you like. You're at home, you belong. That's what we all want. Ten million people want to belong here". Certainly not a sentiment you would expect from most rival managers, e.g. Jose Mourinho or Rafa Benitez. In this context, it's not unsurprising that Klopp has only chosen to manage three blue-collar clubs with rich histories, somewhat faded glories but a strong sense of community, culture & work ethic, forming a deliberately close bond with supporters at all three.
It is also clear why football owners love to have Klopp as their manager. Wherever he has managed, he has outperformed relative to transfer resources, wage structure & expectations. Have these constraints been the reason for his adoption of Wolfgang Frank's 'Gegenpressing' tactical philosophy (the idea that an opposing team is most vulnerable when they regain possession in their own half, at which point you collectively press them to win back the ball close to their goal, while they are at their most disorganised, thus requiring only 2-3 passes to score), or has his success with 'Gegenpressing' been the reason why he has been consistently employed by teams with these constraints? The causation is not entirely clear, but probably the former (notwithstanding that both Bayern Munich in 2012 and Manchester United in 2015 tried to hire him as manager). One thing Honigstein does illustrate well is how Klopp has developed a system of tactics that is entirely designed for the underdog, whereby the collective 11 players (+ harnessing, crucially, the supporters) are more than the sum of their parts. "We may not have the best players, but we can still be the best team", he remarked at Dortmund. By taking Mainz to the Bundelsiga, Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles and now Liverpool to back-to-back top 4 finishes (EDIT: and a Champions League final!), it's clear why the CEOs and Sporting Directors of all 3 clubs only have positive things to say about Klopp in this book.
For a Liverpool fan (like this reader) one can read Honigstein's book between the lines and draw some some tentative thoughts about the Klopp era at the club. For example, although not explicit, it's clear that Klopp took the job because he is obsessively driven to win Liverpool's first league title in 28 years - the one achievement that the fans crave the most - and return some glory to the club in the same way he did at Mainz & Dortmund. However, it's also clear that he regards the lifespan of his project at 7 years (the exact amount of time he spent at both his former clubs). A similar pattern evolved at both former clubs whereby back-to-back successes clearly reduced the appetite of players to continue to 'buy in' to his intense 'Gegenpressing' style of football, rendering it much less effective. Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, the book does give the strong impression that after having to operate with low transfer resources & consistently being poached for his best players (Kagawa, Goetze, Lewandowski, Coutinho etc), Klopp is now willing to spend more aggressively for the right player in order to compete with the top clubs in England (the recent Liverpool signing of Virgil Van Dijk for £75 million being a good example of a very un-Klopp-like signing).
'Bring the Noise' is a solid introduction to the man & his managerial and tactical philosophy but feels under-developed in all the crucial areas. As a Liverpool fan, one hopes a few more successful chapters will help to solve this problem for the next edition!
———-
Edit (23-Jul-20): Champions of England, Europe & the World - problem solved :)
First, Honigstein's various interviews make it clear that Klopp is a classic football romantic: the journey and the experience are almost equally important to him as the final result. For Mainz, Dortmund & Liverpool, in both victories and gut-wrenching defeats (of which many have rightly noted Klopp has a disproportionately high number for his time in the game) he makes constant references to "our story", "our dream" etc. There's a particularly revealing interview after Dortmund pulled off a famous underdog victory against Malaga in 2013 to reach the Champions League semi-finals: "My motivation as a coach is to collect that kind of stuff, for people to tell and retell it. Football is a shared collection of stories, a shared history, an identity. You win and you lose, but you're with people you like. You're at home, you belong. That's what we all want. Ten million people want to belong here". Certainly not a sentiment you would expect from most rival managers, e.g. Jose Mourinho or Rafa Benitez. In this context, it's not unsurprising that Klopp has only chosen to manage three blue-collar clubs with rich histories, somewhat faded glories but a strong sense of community, culture & work ethic, forming a deliberately close bond with supporters at all three.
It is also clear why football owners love to have Klopp as their manager. Wherever he has managed, he has outperformed relative to transfer resources, wage structure & expectations. Have these constraints been the reason for his adoption of Wolfgang Frank's 'Gegenpressing' tactical philosophy (the idea that an opposing team is most vulnerable when they regain possession in their own half, at which point you collectively press them to win back the ball close to their goal, while they are at their most disorganised, thus requiring only 2-3 passes to score), or has his success with 'Gegenpressing' been the reason why he has been consistently employed by teams with these constraints? The causation is not entirely clear, but probably the former (notwithstanding that both Bayern Munich in 2012 and Manchester United in 2015 tried to hire him as manager). One thing Honigstein does illustrate well is how Klopp has developed a system of tactics that is entirely designed for the underdog, whereby the collective 11 players (+ harnessing, crucially, the supporters) are more than the sum of their parts. "We may not have the best players, but we can still be the best team", he remarked at Dortmund. By taking Mainz to the Bundelsiga, Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles and now Liverpool to back-to-back top 4 finishes (EDIT: and a Champions League final!), it's clear why the CEOs and Sporting Directors of all 3 clubs only have positive things to say about Klopp in this book.
For a Liverpool fan (like this reader) one can read Honigstein's book between the lines and draw some some tentative thoughts about the Klopp era at the club. For example, although not explicit, it's clear that Klopp took the job because he is obsessively driven to win Liverpool's first league title in 28 years - the one achievement that the fans crave the most - and return some glory to the club in the same way he did at Mainz & Dortmund. However, it's also clear that he regards the lifespan of his project at 7 years (the exact amount of time he spent at both his former clubs). A similar pattern evolved at both former clubs whereby back-to-back successes clearly reduced the appetite of players to continue to 'buy in' to his intense 'Gegenpressing' style of football, rendering it much less effective. Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, the book does give the strong impression that after having to operate with low transfer resources & consistently being poached for his best players (Kagawa, Goetze, Lewandowski, Coutinho etc), Klopp is now willing to spend more aggressively for the right player in order to compete with the top clubs in England (the recent Liverpool signing of Virgil Van Dijk for £75 million being a good example of a very un-Klopp-like signing).
'Bring the Noise' is a solid introduction to the man & his managerial and tactical philosophy but feels under-developed in all the crucial areas. As a Liverpool fan, one hopes a few more successful chapters will help to solve this problem for the next edition!
———-
Edit (23-Jul-20): Champions of England, Europe & the World - problem solved :)
May 16, 2020
در آنفیلد، معبد مقدس فوتبال کسی سر از پا نمی شناخت هندرسون بعد از سوت پایان بازی در وسط زمین میدوید ، واینالدوم و مانه از خوشحالی اشک میریختند و مسی دو دست بر روی پهلو به اسکوربرد که نتیجه ۴ بر صفر روی آن حک شده بود خیره و مات شده بود. چه عاملی باعث شده بود لیورپول به این قدرت برسد؟ تیمی که آخرین فینال اروپاییش به بیش از یک دهه میرسید حال برای سومین بار پیاپی به آن رسیده بود ، تیمی که بیشتر برای سهمیه می جنگید حال جذاب ترین کورس تاریخ لیگ های اروپایی را با منچستر سیتی برگزار میکرد و با اختلافی ناچیز باخته بود و اگر امسال این ویروس مهلک به فوتبال اجازه نفس کشیدن بدهد بر بام فوتبال انگلیس می ایستد. همه میدانستند عامل این تحولات روی نیمکت لیورپول نشسته مردی با آن کلاه و تیپ اسپرتش، عینک گردش، لبخند همیشه کجش و دندان های سفید درخشانش، مردی اهل جنگل سیاه سوابیا آلمان که با ماینتس چهره شد دورتموند را به هرچه میخواست تقریبا ( جز لیگ قهرمانان اروپا ) رساند و حال هم در حال آماده کردن لیوربرد برای پرواز بر بالاترین نقطه آسمان فوتبال انگلیس است . حتما تا به حال او را شناختید: یورگن کلوپ ، خاص ترین معمولی دنیا
March 9, 2018
Given that I support Liverpool, I may be a little bit biased but this is the first football related book that I have consumed so quickly and enjoyed immensely.
An enlightening read into the down to earth nature of one of best managers in the World. A man who rouses the rabble and motivates the troops. How can anyone not lot love Kloppo? The frantic 12th man kicking each shot, joining in each tackle on the sidelines.
What set this book apart for me was reading his journey from Mainz to Dortmund and finally Liverpool. It had me reminiscing about my teenage years where here in Wales we had a European football show in Welsh on S4C called Sgorio. A highlights show featuring the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A. One of my memories of this is the blonde haired fellow with Mainz, the celebrations of their promotion and surivival in the Bundesliga. Reading these passages brought back the memories from so long ago.
The book itself is very personal and intimate with lots of interviews from the people at the heart of the life and career of Kloppo. It gives a great insight to the man inside the manager. It is easy to see how he can motivate the teams to go above and beyond.
Even if you support a rival team, don't let your colours put you off this book, it is a fantastic read.
An enlightening read into the down to earth nature of one of best managers in the World. A man who rouses the rabble and motivates the troops. How can anyone not lot love Kloppo? The frantic 12th man kicking each shot, joining in each tackle on the sidelines.
What set this book apart for me was reading his journey from Mainz to Dortmund and finally Liverpool. It had me reminiscing about my teenage years where here in Wales we had a European football show in Welsh on S4C called Sgorio. A highlights show featuring the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A. One of my memories of this is the blonde haired fellow with Mainz, the celebrations of their promotion and surivival in the Bundesliga. Reading these passages brought back the memories from so long ago.
The book itself is very personal and intimate with lots of interviews from the people at the heart of the life and career of Kloppo. It gives a great insight to the man inside the manager. It is easy to see how he can motivate the teams to go above and beyond.
Even if you support a rival team, don't let your colours put you off this book, it is a fantastic read.
February 9, 2020
I'm a FC Barcelona fan but I have also liked the way Liverpool play since "the miracle of Istanbul". But this is the story of Jürgen Klopp. I've never met a football fan who would say I don't like Jürgen Klopp. It's hard not to feel connected to the German by just watching him on TV. Raphael Honigstein does a great job of telling his story and his football philosophy first as a player and then as a coach at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool. I have never paid any serious attention to how Mainz use to play but Klopp's name use to come up again and again. But I have seen how he was able to turnaround Borussia Dortmund and now Liverpool. He has shown that if players follow his strategy, he can achieve so much with a decent bunch of players. He can easily connect with the players, staff and the fans. A lot of people think that he is all charisma but they fail to see his intelligence under the gregarious nature. A few players were not able to cope with his demanding training sessions and moved to other teams. Right now he may not just be the best manager in football but may be in all of the sports. Liverpool are quite close to winning the Premiere League after 30 long years and his name will surely be taken along with Bill Shankly at Merseyside.
January 11, 2018
Ich bin seit über 20 Jahren BVB-Fan und da Jürgen Klopp eine sehr prägende Zeit in der jüngeren Vereinsgeschichte hatte war ich sehr gespannt auf seine erste Biographie, auch wenn ich sonst gar nicht in dem Genre unterwegs bin.
Das Buch beginnt mit der Geburtsstätte von Jürgen Klopp, was in einer Biographie definitiv Sinn macht, aber bereits da merkt man, dass viele Details einfließen, die nur bedingt mit seinem Leben zu tun haben. Es wird oft seitenweise beschrieben was seine Schwestern und sein Vater so machen, das war für mich leider so gar nicht interessant und hat mir auch nicht wirklich geholfen die Person Klopp besser kennenzulernen.
Sein Leben wird sehr sprunghaft erzählt, es wechselt ständig zwischen Mainzer, Dortmunder und Liverpooler Zeiten und der eigenen Jugend, was für mich nicht unbedingt die richtige Reihenfolge in einer Biographie ist und dabei hilft eine Person besser zu verstehen.
Dazu kommt, dass Jürgen Klopp in diesem Buch nur aus Interviews zitiert wird und nicht selbst etwas dazu beigesteuert hat. Daher gab es nur selten etwas Neues für mich. Es kommen zwar auch Wegbegleiter, ehemalige Spieler und Freunde zu Wort, aber auch da hat sich nur mein Eindruck bestätigt, dass er ein sympathischer und auf dem Boden gebliebener Typ ist.
Die Abschnitte über seine Trainerstationen sind oftmals mehr Vereinsgeschichte und eine Aneinanderreihung von Spielergebnissen. Dies war aus Dortmunder Sicht für mich natürlich noch am ehesten interessant und hat so einige Erinnerungen und Emotionen geweckt. Die anderen Stationen waren in dieser Form dann nur bedingt interessant.
Insgesamt muss ich sagen, dass diese Biographie nicht wirklich das ist was ich erwartet habe. Ich habe nicht unbedingt mehr über Klopp erfahren und es gab so einige zähe und langweilige Passagen, die ich eher überflogen habe. Das Buch lässt mich ein wenig enttäuscht zurück, da ich auf intensivere Einblicke in die Person Klopp gehofft hatte.
Das Buch beginnt mit der Geburtsstätte von Jürgen Klopp, was in einer Biographie definitiv Sinn macht, aber bereits da merkt man, dass viele Details einfließen, die nur bedingt mit seinem Leben zu tun haben. Es wird oft seitenweise beschrieben was seine Schwestern und sein Vater so machen, das war für mich leider so gar nicht interessant und hat mir auch nicht wirklich geholfen die Person Klopp besser kennenzulernen.
Sein Leben wird sehr sprunghaft erzählt, es wechselt ständig zwischen Mainzer, Dortmunder und Liverpooler Zeiten und der eigenen Jugend, was für mich nicht unbedingt die richtige Reihenfolge in einer Biographie ist und dabei hilft eine Person besser zu verstehen.
Dazu kommt, dass Jürgen Klopp in diesem Buch nur aus Interviews zitiert wird und nicht selbst etwas dazu beigesteuert hat. Daher gab es nur selten etwas Neues für mich. Es kommen zwar auch Wegbegleiter, ehemalige Spieler und Freunde zu Wort, aber auch da hat sich nur mein Eindruck bestätigt, dass er ein sympathischer und auf dem Boden gebliebener Typ ist.
Die Abschnitte über seine Trainerstationen sind oftmals mehr Vereinsgeschichte und eine Aneinanderreihung von Spielergebnissen. Dies war aus Dortmunder Sicht für mich natürlich noch am ehesten interessant und hat so einige Erinnerungen und Emotionen geweckt. Die anderen Stationen waren in dieser Form dann nur bedingt interessant.
Insgesamt muss ich sagen, dass diese Biographie nicht wirklich das ist was ich erwartet habe. Ich habe nicht unbedingt mehr über Klopp erfahren und es gab so einige zähe und langweilige Passagen, die ich eher überflogen habe. Das Buch lässt mich ein wenig enttäuscht zurück, da ich auf intensivere Einblicke in die Person Klopp gehofft hatte.
May 24, 2018
Fascinating guy and great timing to read this just before Saturday’s Champions League final (after reading this I reckon they might just do it, you know).
Annoyed me a bit with the way it keeps switching to different times when Klopp was at his 3 clubs (Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool) - if only it could just have been in chronological order. And of course it’s out of date already....
Annoyed me a bit with the way it keeps switching to different times when Klopp was at his 3 clubs (Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool) - if only it could just have been in chronological order. And of course it’s out of date already....
February 14, 2024
I have been watching football for about two decades now and been a Liverpool fan for most of it, but for some reason I never got around to reading about the sport and understanding what happens behind the scenes. When Klopp announced his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the current season, it triggered a deep emotional response in me, in a way that I had never felt before. Like most Liverpool fans, I loved him - not just for what he did for the club, but also for the inspirational person he was. I needed to understand who he was, where he came from, how he became the person he is today - if for nothing else, then to atleast savor and enjoy the last few months of his tenure at Liverpool, just a little bit better.
The book is well written and easy to read - it does a great job of capturing the emotionality and the intensity that Klopp and his teams have become known for, without shying away from the technical/tactical details of the sport. The narrative is easy enough to follow for anyone with a basic interest in the sport and his life, maybe even otherwise. The focus (atleast of the edition I read) is a lot more on his time in the Bundesliga than with Liverpool and English football - but I would imagine that there will be an updated edition, or even a new book altogether - something that I wouldn't hesitate to pick up as soon as it's out!
Overall - it's a 10/10 read. Even if you're not a football fan at all, it's a great profile of someone who has achieved the highest accolades in his field while having a value system built around genuineness, humility, empathy and passion- a rarity compared to the "Type A" values of ruthlessness, efficiency and personal ambition that get glorified far more often. Everyone can do with a Jurgen Klopp in their lives.
The book is well written and easy to read - it does a great job of capturing the emotionality and the intensity that Klopp and his teams have become known for, without shying away from the technical/tactical details of the sport. The narrative is easy enough to follow for anyone with a basic interest in the sport and his life, maybe even otherwise. The focus (atleast of the edition I read) is a lot more on his time in the Bundesliga than with Liverpool and English football - but I would imagine that there will be an updated edition, or even a new book altogether - something that I wouldn't hesitate to pick up as soon as it's out!
Overall - it's a 10/10 read. Even if you're not a football fan at all, it's a great profile of someone who has achieved the highest accolades in his field while having a value system built around genuineness, humility, empathy and passion- a rarity compared to the "Type A" values of ruthlessness, efficiency and personal ambition that get glorified far more often. Everyone can do with a Jurgen Klopp in their lives.
October 28, 2020
Existem dois tipos de pessoas, as que gostam de Klopp e as que não leram esse livro.
February 20, 2018
Interessante Biographie über Jürgen Klopp.
Ich habe das Hörbuch gehört, welches mich über die gut zehn Stunden doch sehr gefesselt hat.
Abzug gibt es, da mir der Aufbau des ganzen Buches zu konfus ist und in der Zeit sehr stark gesprungen wird. Beispielsweise wird schon über die Trainerzeit in Liverpool gesprochen, danach geht es dann wieder zurück nach Dortmund und dann kommen irgendwann auch wieder Geschichten zu der Zeit als Trainer in Mainz. Diesen Aufbau hab ich so nicht wirklich verstanden.
Trotzdem ein gutes Hörbuch mit einem angenehmen Sprecher.
Ich habe das Hörbuch gehört, welches mich über die gut zehn Stunden doch sehr gefesselt hat.
Abzug gibt es, da mir der Aufbau des ganzen Buches zu konfus ist und in der Zeit sehr stark gesprungen wird. Beispielsweise wird schon über die Trainerzeit in Liverpool gesprochen, danach geht es dann wieder zurück nach Dortmund und dann kommen irgendwann auch wieder Geschichten zu der Zeit als Trainer in Mainz. Diesen Aufbau hab ich so nicht wirklich verstanden.
Trotzdem ein gutes Hörbuch mit einem angenehmen Sprecher.
April 2, 2018
Who doesn't love Jürgen Klopp? People who don't know who he is, that's who. Fun book about an enigmatic, magnetic manager. More to come in my books newsletter later this week.
June 11, 2025
“It’s not important what people think of you when you arrive, it’s important what they think of you when you leave.”
- Jurgen Klopp
- Jurgen Klopp
April 1, 2024
Ein paar schöne O-Töne und gut zu lesen. Ich hätte es mir nur chronologischer gewünscht. Die Kapitel sprangen von Mainz nach Liverpool nach Dortmund, zurück nach Liverpool....
May 22, 2018
Amazing book. As simple as that. The book is well-written and the author keeps you engaged throughout the Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool journeys. Pity that it was written before Liverpool's incredible 2018 Champions League journey. Nonetheless, a great book and let you in into Jurgen's wonderful character. Jurgen Klopp is truly much more than a football coach. An inspiration wherever he had been.
For football fans, the book also serves well to let you delve into the 'gegenpressing' tactic. Your legs feel uneasy as you read through as you terribly feel you just need to lace up your boots and run like there is no tomorrow!
For football fans, the book also serves well to let you delve into the 'gegenpressing' tactic. Your legs feel uneasy as you read through as you terribly feel you just need to lace up your boots and run like there is no tomorrow!
May 9, 2018
It’s also fascinated me how a manager’s character can shape the neutral fan’s perception of a football team. Under previous Liverpool managers (especially Houlier) I found Liverpool quite dis-likable and certainly not a team I would root for. Yet under Klopp its hard not to have a soft spot for the free-flowing Liverpool team that plays in a manner
Klopp: Bring the Noise is a fun and detailed biogrpahy of the most charismatic manager in football – Jurgen “Kloppo” Klopp. Honigstein details the key influences on Klopp’s career including his own limitations as a player and his one-time coach Wolfgang Frank.
Klopp comes across in the book in the same way he does on TV. He clearly has a huge work ethic and builds a very strong connection with his players. The access that Honigstein had to so many people close to Klopp at different times of his life and career gives a great insight into his tactics and his management.
A clear pattern emerges – builds a fantastic team with meagre resources, performs well above expectations only to see a decline – either due to star players being headhunted or the rest of the league adopting his tactics. It remains to be seen if his Liverpool team can compete in the Premier League and become more than a very good cup team.
I’m a big fan of Raphael Honigstein’s writing – in particular his book Das Reboot. Like his other work, this book is well written, well researched and a very enjoyable read.
There are a few areas in the book where more detail would have been interesting. The section on the type of player Klopp looked to sign was very interesting but I would have like more detail on why certain players were signed – what was it about Lewandawski that made Dortmund pull the trigger for example when he was overlooked by other clubs?
I found the ordering of chapters a bit frustrating. I understand what Honigstein was trying to achieve – linking his first days at each club together to enable the reader to make comparisons between his time at Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool. But for a reader not all that familiar with Klopp’s time at Mainz, the jumps back and forth were a bit disorientating.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Klopp – and I can’t imagine why any football fan wouldn’t be interested in him!
See all of my sports book reviews at https://allsportsbooks.reviews
Klopp: Bring the Noise is a fun and detailed biogrpahy of the most charismatic manager in football – Jurgen “Kloppo” Klopp. Honigstein details the key influences on Klopp’s career including his own limitations as a player and his one-time coach Wolfgang Frank.
Klopp comes across in the book in the same way he does on TV. He clearly has a huge work ethic and builds a very strong connection with his players. The access that Honigstein had to so many people close to Klopp at different times of his life and career gives a great insight into his tactics and his management.
A clear pattern emerges – builds a fantastic team with meagre resources, performs well above expectations only to see a decline – either due to star players being headhunted or the rest of the league adopting his tactics. It remains to be seen if his Liverpool team can compete in the Premier League and become more than a very good cup team.
I’m a big fan of Raphael Honigstein’s writing – in particular his book Das Reboot. Like his other work, this book is well written, well researched and a very enjoyable read.
There are a few areas in the book where more detail would have been interesting. The section on the type of player Klopp looked to sign was very interesting but I would have like more detail on why certain players were signed – what was it about Lewandawski that made Dortmund pull the trigger for example when he was overlooked by other clubs?
I found the ordering of chapters a bit frustrating. I understand what Honigstein was trying to achieve – linking his first days at each club together to enable the reader to make comparisons between his time at Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool. But for a reader not all that familiar with Klopp’s time at Mainz, the jumps back and forth were a bit disorientating.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Klopp – and I can’t imagine why any football fan wouldn’t be interested in him!
See all of my sports book reviews at https://allsportsbooks.reviews
July 10, 2021
Esmalt üllatas mind, et eesti keelde tõlkis selle Aet Süvari. Tõlge oli isenesest üpris hea ja lugemine meeldiv. Peatükkide järjestus mulle ei sobinud. Pidev tõmblemine Liverpool - Dortmund- Mainz liinil tegi üldpildi jälgimise asjatult keerukaks. Oleks eelistanud kronoloogilist lähenemist.
Raamatu lõppsõnas oli kirjas ..." Tal on mängijaga väga head suhted, ta suudab olla neile sõbra eest, aga vajaduse korral olla ka karm ja neile peapesu teha. Ta võib olla ka väga halastamatu." Üldiselt oli tegu 300 lk kiidulauluga Kloppile ja nõus, ta ongi suurepärane treener, aga kordagi ei kirjutatud milliste ohverdustega see tuli. Järjekordselt oli väga vähe juttu ta naisest, kui palju mängis tema rolli Kloppi elu tasakaalustamises? Konfliktid olid ainult põgusalt ära mainitud.
Terve raamat keskendub sellele, kuidas Klopp suudab teha keskpärastest mängijatest suurepärase meeskonna, aga päris nii see ka ei ole. Võrreldes Liverpooli sellega kui ta tuli ja mis seal praegu on, siis on meeskonnast ikka tohutu hunnik mehi minema transporditud. Seda keskpärasust kiputakse vaatama mängijate hinnasildi järgi, kelle ta sisse tõi (Mane, Salah, Firminho). Mulle endale tundub, et Klopp on üks geniaalsemaid spordiinvestoreid. Tema uudne idee lihtsalt suutis genereerida tulu mängijatelt, kellest tippklubid muidu mööda vaatasid. Suurem jagu tippklubide taktikast keskendus seal 2 või 3 mehe ümber. Real Madrid ratsutas veel ronaldo seljas, Barcelonal oli Messi. Klopp ehitas üles 11 mehest koosnevat sünkroonselt toimivat masinat.
Meeldis muidugi väga see, et treeneril peab olema oma filosoofia, millega ta mängule läheneb ja raamatus harutati seda peatükk peatüki haaval lahti.
Raamatu lõppsõnas oli kirjas ..." Tal on mängijaga väga head suhted, ta suudab olla neile sõbra eest, aga vajaduse korral olla ka karm ja neile peapesu teha. Ta võib olla ka väga halastamatu." Üldiselt oli tegu 300 lk kiidulauluga Kloppile ja nõus, ta ongi suurepärane treener, aga kordagi ei kirjutatud milliste ohverdustega see tuli. Järjekordselt oli väga vähe juttu ta naisest, kui palju mängis tema rolli Kloppi elu tasakaalustamises? Konfliktid olid ainult põgusalt ära mainitud.
Terve raamat keskendub sellele, kuidas Klopp suudab teha keskpärastest mängijatest suurepärase meeskonna, aga päris nii see ka ei ole. Võrreldes Liverpooli sellega kui ta tuli ja mis seal praegu on, siis on meeskonnast ikka tohutu hunnik mehi minema transporditud. Seda keskpärasust kiputakse vaatama mängijate hinnasildi järgi, kelle ta sisse tõi (Mane, Salah, Firminho). Mulle endale tundub, et Klopp on üks geniaalsemaid spordiinvestoreid. Tema uudne idee lihtsalt suutis genereerida tulu mängijatelt, kellest tippklubid muidu mööda vaatasid. Suurem jagu tippklubide taktikast keskendus seal 2 või 3 mehe ümber. Real Madrid ratsutas veel ronaldo seljas, Barcelonal oli Messi. Klopp ehitas üles 11 mehest koosnevat sünkroonselt toimivat masinat.
Meeldis muidugi väga see, et treeneril peab olema oma filosoofia, millega ta mängule läheneb ja raamatus harutati seda peatükk peatüki haaval lahti.
September 18, 2018
Okay, I'm going to admit I know very little about soccer. A year ago I could never of told you who this man was. I knew noting at all about the game of soccer, and only tuned in when it was World Cup time, like most Americans. For some reason I became enthralled with the game during this years World Cup tournament. Watching many of the games I became hooked. I became a fan wanting to learn how the game was played. So some friends told me you have to watch the English Premier League, and you have to pick a team. So I did. Looking over the teams and the cities, I decided to parlay my lifelong love of the Beatles into becoming a Liverpool FC fan. Little did I know the team I picked was one of the best in the league. The book is about their coach. I learnt much about the strategy and the way the game is played from this book. I found a statement from the "Klopper "that sums perfectly why I am a sports fan.
"You can lose....You can lose again...And again..But you can always win the game after that...And that's what's so great about it"
"You can lose....You can lose again...And again..But you can always win the game after that...And that's what's so great about it"
December 18, 2021
Brilliant book on a brilliant character! Jurgen Klopp story is a case study not only in football management, but rather in leadership, team building, and building powerful human connections. Leaders usually fall into one of two categories, either beacons, visionaries who show the way, or architects, builders who pave the road to the end goal. He is both, he believes in people so they believe in themselves, and combines this motivation with meticulous hard work. He brings people together so naturally and also so methodically, and the book is brilliant in uncovering how his formative years, long before being under the spot light has shaped him into the man he is. This is the second and by far the best Klopp biography I have read.
December 8, 2017
Despite how heavily Jurgen Klopp's career has been covered both in Germany and in England, Honigstein manages to keep this book interesting (partly by avoiding the trap of going over Klopp's career in a chronological order) and insightful through conversations with those who have been with him throughout his career. The conversations with Peter Krawietz, Klopp's second assistant at Liverpool, are particularly illuminating.
February 13, 2018
If you watch Liverpool matches, your attentions as well as media's will be mostly drawn to an animatic and passionate bespectacled guy on the touchline. He's as interesting to watch as the team he managed on the pitch. This book is amazing, told by those who knows Klopp the best and what made him so passionate. Klopp and Liverpool are made for each others. YNWA.
December 27, 2020
Όλη η προσωπικότητα,όλη η ζωή του Γιούργκεν Κλοππ μπροστά μας.
July 10, 2020
The sweet silver song of a lark
This book reads like the Chicago Bulls documentary “The Last Dance”, with all the going back and forth in Jürgen Klopp’s different periods in life, from childhood to Mainz to Liverpool to Dortmund to Liverpool back to his punditry days in Germany, back to Dortmund, and so on. And it’s gripping.
The author has a special way to depicts a scene and brings us into the mood in the stadiums, in the pubs, and you can just taste the emotions among the supporters. And it is reflected in the book, which gives the overall context and “feel” around the development of Mainz, Dortmund, and Liverpool within Klopp's respective periods in life, from the wreck at the beginning for each club to the few years of building up the team until its success stories for Dortmund and Liverpool.
But most importantly, in between the stories the book also brilliantly captures the essence of Jürgen Klopp's tremendous, larger-than-life, personality and the wisdom and intellect that match it. Hence, it is similar with reading books about basketball’s John Wooden or American football’s Vince Lombardy, where we can learn so much more from the great men and from the lessons that they teach us for life outside their respective sports.
Yes, the core of this book is about Klopp’s strong values, it's about his work ethic, his natural charisma, his clear conscious between what's right and what's wrong. One single passage in the book perfectly describes this philosophy: “But unlike Bill Shankly, Klopp has never believed that sport is everything. It can’t be. ‘If life would be judged at the end, and you stood at that door, and somebody asked you “Did you win something or not?” that would be really strange. But: “Did you try everything to improve the place you’ve been in, the house you lived in, the mood, the love?” “Yes, I tried, every day.” “Then come in.” And all the other guys, who won ignoring all the rules, all the laws – I think they have to use another door. I didn’t do that much in my life. But when we won it felt incredible (because) we always won it in the right way. You have to be patient. You have to work harder than others. You have to try, over a long period. Then you have a chance.’”
His philosophies, of course, also projected in his footballing approach. He's very demanding but fair, he always push his boys to the limit but never throw them discouraging critics. He's the ultimate authority but he's "one of them". He parties with them, exchange jokes with them, the hugs, oh the many hugs, and he genuinely value everyone at the club from top to bottom. In fact at the start of his tenure in Liverpool, he gathered everyone in one room, from players to the toilet cleaner and the lunch lady and ask them introduce to one another, to create a togetherness atmosphere in the club.
And he's also good at protecting his players: “The Liverpool boss also reminded his men again about the pact he had made with them shortly after coming into the job in October 2015. ‘When you win, it’s down to you and when you lose, it’s down to me,’ he had told them in a bid to ease unspoken concerns about the new, complex and very demanding playing style.”
Now, I know love is a strong word but even if he kills a puppy at this very instance, I bet every Mainz, Dortmund, and Liverpool supporter will still see him as a saint. That’s how much Klopp is loved by the entire city of Mainz, the entire city of Dortmund, and by Liverpool fans worldwide, and it is a testament to his great character.
As a biased Liverpool fan, whose club just won the first English title in 30 years thanks to this err, saint, with many records broken in the process, this book is like the icing on the cake. It is the perfect book for the supporters. Thank Fowler that he’s our manager.
This book reads like the Chicago Bulls documentary “The Last Dance”, with all the going back and forth in Jürgen Klopp’s different periods in life, from childhood to Mainz to Liverpool to Dortmund to Liverpool back to his punditry days in Germany, back to Dortmund, and so on. And it’s gripping.
The author has a special way to depicts a scene and brings us into the mood in the stadiums, in the pubs, and you can just taste the emotions among the supporters. And it is reflected in the book, which gives the overall context and “feel” around the development of Mainz, Dortmund, and Liverpool within Klopp's respective periods in life, from the wreck at the beginning for each club to the few years of building up the team until its success stories for Dortmund and Liverpool.
But most importantly, in between the stories the book also brilliantly captures the essence of Jürgen Klopp's tremendous, larger-than-life, personality and the wisdom and intellect that match it. Hence, it is similar with reading books about basketball’s John Wooden or American football’s Vince Lombardy, where we can learn so much more from the great men and from the lessons that they teach us for life outside their respective sports.
Yes, the core of this book is about Klopp’s strong values, it's about his work ethic, his natural charisma, his clear conscious between what's right and what's wrong. One single passage in the book perfectly describes this philosophy: “But unlike Bill Shankly, Klopp has never believed that sport is everything. It can’t be. ‘If life would be judged at the end, and you stood at that door, and somebody asked you “Did you win something or not?” that would be really strange. But: “Did you try everything to improve the place you’ve been in, the house you lived in, the mood, the love?” “Yes, I tried, every day.” “Then come in.” And all the other guys, who won ignoring all the rules, all the laws – I think they have to use another door. I didn’t do that much in my life. But when we won it felt incredible (because) we always won it in the right way. You have to be patient. You have to work harder than others. You have to try, over a long period. Then you have a chance.’”
His philosophies, of course, also projected in his footballing approach. He's very demanding but fair, he always push his boys to the limit but never throw them discouraging critics. He's the ultimate authority but he's "one of them". He parties with them, exchange jokes with them, the hugs, oh the many hugs, and he genuinely value everyone at the club from top to bottom. In fact at the start of his tenure in Liverpool, he gathered everyone in one room, from players to the toilet cleaner and the lunch lady and ask them introduce to one another, to create a togetherness atmosphere in the club.
And he's also good at protecting his players: “The Liverpool boss also reminded his men again about the pact he had made with them shortly after coming into the job in October 2015. ‘When you win, it’s down to you and when you lose, it’s down to me,’ he had told them in a bid to ease unspoken concerns about the new, complex and very demanding playing style.”
Now, I know love is a strong word but even if he kills a puppy at this very instance, I bet every Mainz, Dortmund, and Liverpool supporter will still see him as a saint. That’s how much Klopp is loved by the entire city of Mainz, the entire city of Dortmund, and by Liverpool fans worldwide, and it is a testament to his great character.
As a biased Liverpool fan, whose club just won the first English title in 30 years thanks to this err, saint, with many records broken in the process, this book is like the icing on the cake. It is the perfect book for the supporters. Thank Fowler that he’s our manager.
March 11, 2023
اول از همه بگم که ترجمه مزخرف، افتضاح، آشغال.
ترجمه رو توی ذهنم بازنویسی میکردم تا بلکه قابل خوندن بشه.
سه ستاره رو فقط به خاطر موضوع کتاب دادم، شخصیت جذاب و دوست داشتنی یورگن نوربرت کلوپ.
موضوع کتاب داستان تبدیل شدن یه بازیکن درجه ۲ و ۳ به یکی از بهترین مربی های فوتبال توی قرن بیست و یکمه. اینکه چرا تیم های کلوپ یه سبک خاص بازی می کنن، این سبک خاص از کجا اومده. کدوم آدم ها روی درکش از جهان و فوتبال تاثیر داشتن. اینکه برای رسیدن به جایگاه فعلی چه سختی هایی کشیده.
داستان زندگی کلوپ از تاثیر دور و اطرافیان روی زندگی فرد می گه و اینکه ممکنه شبیه پدر و مربیت بشی، اما مطمئنا می تونی یه نسخه خیلی بهتر از اونا بشی.
........
از این کتاب دو تا ترجمه به زبان فارسی موجوده و هر دو مزخرف، افتضاح و آشغال.
حداقل این کتابها رو بدید به یکی که فوتبال میفهمه ترجمه کنه که حداقل اسم تیمها رو اشتباه ننویسه.
ترجمه رو توی ذهنم بازنویسی میکردم تا بلکه قابل خوندن بشه.
سه ستاره رو فقط به خاطر موضوع کتاب دادم، شخصیت جذاب و دوست داشتنی یورگن نوربرت کلوپ.
موضوع کتاب داستان تبدیل شدن یه بازیکن درجه ۲ و ۳ به یکی از بهترین مربی های فوتبال توی قرن بیست و یکمه. اینکه چرا تیم های کلوپ یه سبک خاص بازی می کنن، این سبک خاص از کجا اومده. کدوم آدم ها روی درکش از جهان و فوتبال تاثیر داشتن. اینکه برای رسیدن به جایگاه فعلی چه سختی هایی کشیده.
داستان زندگی کلوپ از تاثیر دور و اطرافیان روی زندگی فرد می گه و اینکه ممکنه شبیه پدر و مربیت بشی، اما مطمئنا می تونی یه نسخه خیلی بهتر از اونا بشی.
........
از این کتاب دو تا ترجمه به زبان فارسی موجوده و هر دو مزخرف، افتضاح و آشغال.
حداقل این کتابها رو بدید به یکی که فوتبال میفهمه ترجمه کنه که حداقل اسم تیمها رو اشتباه ننویسه.
March 6, 2022
Interesting reading this in 2022, with Klopp's Liverpool arc further along than when the book was published, but still incomplete. After reading more about his time at Mainz and Dortmund, it's hard not to feel like the success since was foretold (if simultaneously a little apprehensive about what the end of his time in England will be like). Honigstein does a good job of interrogating the myth and not just lapsing into hagiography, but on some level the results speak for themselves.
YNWA we're so lucky he wanted to come here / looking forward to searching for Bundesliga 2 highlights over spring break
YNWA we're so lucky he wanted to come here / looking forward to searching for Bundesliga 2 highlights over spring break
January 28, 2024
Klopp has never coached a term I've liked (and with Liverpool, he led one of my team's bitter rivals to renewed and annoyingly persistent success). But it was always hard to dislike Klopp and impossible not to respect him - and this book does a great job of showing why. While it only goes through 2017, it does a great job of showing the personal characteristics and the tactical perspective that has made Klopp one of the best managers if this century. Cheers, Klopp, and best of luck coaching anyone else but Liverpool.
January 14, 2025
Though I'm not a fan of Mainz, BvB and certainly not one of LFC - those being the teams coached by JK -, but still an interesting look at the life and career of one of the most important football coaches of the last two decades.
I particularly didn't like nor appreciate the unchronolgical unfolding of Klopp's career as both player and coach and I didn't understand why the author to tell the story in this manner as he never explained it.
I particularly didn't like nor appreciate the unchronolgical unfolding of Klopp's career as both player and coach and I didn't understand why the author to tell the story in this manner as he never explained it.
September 25, 2020
A through and out interesting read about the journey of one of the best managers, certainly the most charismatic one, in modern football. The process of his footballing vision that changed the fundamental aspect of european football is clearly written here, srpinkled with exciting backstories. Though it is not the most updated one (champions league version is there), its a must read for any football enthusiast.
April 7, 2020
This is a fun read because Jurgen is a fun likeable chap, the non linear telling grew on me. Now it needs a further chapter about the Champions League win and this season which may well turn into the season that disappears.
October 2, 2020
Hey Jurgen hey heey, hey Jurgen hey!
Şampiyonlar Ligi'ndesin, hey Jurgen hey!
Salah-Mane-Firmino
Hey Jurgen hey!
Bu sene de şampiyonsun hey Jurgen heey hey
Bu sene de şampiyonsun hey Jurgen heey hey!*
(COURTESY OF: Azer Bülbül-Hey Cimbom hey!)
Şampiyonlar Ligi'ndesin, hey Jurgen hey!
Salah-Mane-Firmino
Hey Jurgen hey!
Bu sene de şampiyonsun hey Jurgen heey hey
Bu sene de şampiyonsun hey Jurgen heey hey!*
(COURTESY OF: Azer Bülbül-Hey Cimbom hey!)
May 22, 2020
อ่านยากอยู่นะมีทั้ง อังกฤษ เยอรมัน เรื่องราวของเขาตั้งแต่เป็นนักเตะ ผู้จัดการและนักเตะ สู่ผู้จัดการทีมหงส์แดง เคยผิดหวัง สมหวัง และผู้ที่นำความสุขมาสู่ชาวหงส์แดง ทุกคน
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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