Klopp To The Devastated Liverpool Fans: Book The Hotel For Next Year’s CL Final
Only for this Liverpool team does doing only the double for the season leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
Liverpool lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the Champions League final to end a draining campaign with the League Cup and the FA Cup.
The squad Jurgen Klopp has built has been so awe-inspiring that belief remained even as the clock ticked into the 95th minute in the Stade de France with the Reds pouring forward in search of an equalizer.
However, it was not to come, and Madrid, arguably the only club on the continent with enough European Cup magic to rival Liverpool, lifted the trophy for the 14th time.
Pipped to the league title less than a week ago by Manchester City, the end of a dream for the quadruple and then the treble went up in smoke.
“In the dressing room, nobody feels a great season at this moment, we will probably need a few minutes for that, maybe hours,” Klopp said in his post-match interview.
“In the end, the two decisions against us were for the smallest margins possible, so that is it.
“We played a good game, not a perfect game, but that would not have been possible against the opponents how the set-up was.
Vinicius Jr. scored with his side’s first shot on target early in the second half after the La Liga champions had weathered concerted pressure from their opponents.
A man of the match performance from Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois then foiled Liverpool’s 20 shot attempts, with the giant Belgian denying Sadio Mane, a vengeful Mohamed Salah and a host of Reds at every turn.
“We had a lot of shots but not the clearest, only three or so where Courtois made top saves,” Klopp continued. “Then we concede a goal after a throw-in I think, and that is it.”
Heads are low at the moment with it hard to shake how close the Reds were to etching an achievement for the ages into Liverpool lore. However, after that period of mourning is over, it will be time to pick heads up and remember that there are at least four more years of Klopp at Anfield. And like the loss to the same opponents in the 2018 final, these mentality monster Reds will already have their eyes on next year’s trophy.
“I have the strong feeling we will come again,” Klopp was adamant in saying. “That is how it is because the boys are really competitive, we have an outstanding group together, we will have (one) again next year and then we go again.
“Where is the final next year? Istanbul? Book the hotel.”