Sports Nicknames - The Normal One

Jurgen Klopp has to be considered one of the best managers in the world in the current day. Not only did he lead his Borussia Dortmund side to topple the dominance of Bayern Munich nearly a decade ago, but he has transformed Liverpool back into one of the finest teams in Europe. Despite all of this, he still maintains that his nickname should remain "The Normal One" (a reference to Jose Mourinho's self-given name of "The Special One").



Klopp started his managerial career with Mainz 05 in the second tier of German football, leading them to the top flight in his third season as a manager. They stayed in the league with the smallest budget and stadium for 2 years, but were relegated the third and Klopp resigned before signing for Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund won the Bundesliga 2 consecutive times, as well as challenging Bayern Munich for the next 3. However, results began to slip and he resigned at the end of the 14-15 season. The next year, he was at Liverpool.

Klopp's start at Liverpool was promising, as he guided them to 2 finals - in the Europa League and the League Cup Final, but lost both. However, in 2017 they qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 3 years. With key signings like Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, he changed them into true title contenders. Despite losing the 2018-19 season to Manchester City, Liverpool finished with 97 points - the third highest total in the Premier League's history. Yet, Klopp won the Champions League the same season before capturing the Premier League the next year.

An energetic coach with an energetic style of play, Klopp will surely be looked on as one of the best managers of all time if he can continue this success. Even if he can't, he'll still be remembered for restoring one of England's most historic sides to modern success.

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