Tom Werner says Fenway Sports Group owes a huge debt of gratitude to Jurgen Klopp and warned Liverpool’s rivals that their manager is ready to create a dynasty in Anfield.
With the League Cup and FA Cup now safely stored in the trophy cabinet, the Reds head to Paris for the Champions League final against Real Madrid later this week for their 63rd and final match of the season. with 92 points in the Premier League.
However, the third highest point of all time at Anfield, however, was not enough to bring the 20th title in the league, as they were brought out in the championship with the return of Manchester City from 93. Despite a broken heart on the last day in Sunday, Liverpool heads to the French capital in a lively mood after an exceptional domestic year.
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Liverpool president Werner was at Anfield on Sunday with FSG teammates Mike Gordon and John W. Henry, and the trio will be at the Stade de France on Saturday when triple Klopp hunters meet the 13-time champions. of Europe in repetition of the 2018 final.
Klopp, who takes his team to the third European Cup on Saturday night, signed a new contract last month to stay in Merseyside until 2026, and Werner paid tribute to the manager before thanking German wife Ula for her help in convincing her. spouse to stay outside the previous deadlines, which expired in 2024.
Although he saw Klopp lift all the top-class trophies available to him since 2019, Werner also said the club was simply warming up under the guidance of its inspiring manager.
In an exclusive and extensive chat with ECHO, Mr Werner said: “You know that I am a fan of hobby history and I am certainly aware of the great managers who preceded Jürgen.
“From Bill Shankly to Bob Paisley, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Gerard Houllier and everyone else, but just to get the opportunity to see Jürgen and work with him up close, to see what he brings to the club, I don’t think so. there is a better manager in world football.
“I was recently with the CEO of Siemens, the technology company, and I said that Jürgen will be the CEO of every company because he is such an attentive, modest, strategic and caring leader with a great sense of humor.
“So we all owe a big thank you to Jürgen and his wife Ula, who I think was very helpful in encouraging Jürgen to stay in Liverpool. We are very grateful for her wisdom.
“It certainly meets our wildest dreams. I was at the first press conference [in October 2015] and he handled it all with such grace and a sense of humor. And we have achieved so much in his tenure. One of the things I admire about him is that football is obviously extremely important for everyone involved with Liverpool, but he has a great view of that.
“When we drew with Tottenham and he said it was like a funeral atmosphere, he had the prospect of carrying over to the next game and I think he handles all the challenges so gracefully and so perfectly. He is so close and human and on earth. We still think it’s all work in progress. ”
Although I played for a potential quadruple until the last few days of May, the topic of potential summer income is never too far removed from the conversation that concerns supporters. Liverpool moved to bring in Luis Diaz from Porto six months earlier than originally planned in late January and took a closer look at Monaco midfielder Aurelien Chuameni, among others for the summer.
Werner says the final word on transfers will always be on Klopp and revealed that the manager will be given every opportunity by FSG to compete once again, as they want to fight again with the crown from City to Pep Guardiola next season. .
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“So much of it comes down to creating a culture of victory,” Werner added. “We have said this before, we want to win more trophies for our supporters. We want to be like the great teams in England and Europe.
“You can only do this by doing it brick by brick. Signing Luis Diaz, people have long wondered why Liverpool are not more aggressive in the transfer market, but the fact is that we had such an excellent team that it was important that if we sign someone, he will play a significant amount.
“So we will not be active every window, but obviously Diaz had an immediate and huge impact. I think it is obviously very important that Jürgen has the key vote on these issues.
“There’s no point in signing a player that Jurgen doesn’t care about, because he has to work with the team every week. So his enthusiasm for Luis Diaz was the most important vote.”
Probably the biggest challenge for Boston-based Liverpool fans is to keep the team competitive at the top of football against other ownership models where funds are more readily available.
The FSG has always maintained its belief in Anfield’s self-sustaining strategy, and while it may make it difficult for Manchester City and Chelsea, some of the richest players in football, to overcome, Newcastle United’s newly discovered wealth in public investment is the Saudi Fund is likely to only inflate the Premier League market further.
However, Werner says the FSG are more than aware of the difficulties in keeping Liverpool in the current position, and said the club will always defend the financial fair play directives, which have become a little calmer since the summer of 2020. .
“It’s been a great season, but I also feel like we’re still keeping our heads down and fighting every day to get better,” Mr Werner told Zoom. “We are fighting to strengthen the rules of financial fair play. Our CEO, Billy Hogan, is on the Premier League’s Strategic Advisory Committee, I sit on the Broadcast Advisory Committee, and I am very pleased to see that the Premier League’s international media rights will increase by 30% in the next cycle.
“So, for the first time, the international media is ahead of the intrinsic value, and we are doing a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that the Premier League continues on this path. Obviously, this is the most watched football league in the world, and I know that Liverpool’s performance is crucial to this success.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of people in Indonesia who are Liverpool fans either from Senegal or anywhere in the world, so it’s very important for me to continue on this journey.”
Whatever happened in Paris, it was a memorable few months for the club. Their double for the League Cup and FA Cup made them only the fifth team to win both that season, and Liverpool have already confirmed that a huge parade in honor of these trophies is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, regardless of the result against Carlo Ancelotti’s team. in Paris.
As the club cannot celebrate its Premier League title in 2020 with fans, as well as the fact that the Liverpool women are celebrating their return to the WSL, there is much to celebrate as the long season ends triumphantly on the streets of the city at 29 May.
“I agree that this season has been remarkable for both men and women, as well as for everyone involved with the club and the LFC Foundation. We strive to grow every year and progress, and I think this year was one we can all be proud of. “
* Part 2 of ECHO’s exclusive chat with Tom Werner focuses on outgoing Michael Edwards, the development of Anfield Road and FSG’s agreement with RedBird Capital
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