Klopp targeting a title within four years
LIVERPOOL — Jurgen Klopp declared that if he has not won a title in his first four years as Liverpool manager then his next job might be in Switzerland.
Klopp, who won the Bundesliga twice in his seven seasons in charge of Borussia Dortmund, signed a three-year deal on Thursday to take over at Anfield.
Using the term “title,” which can be used to refer to any silverware by German speakers, he said in a news conference: “This could be a really special day.
“We could start in a very difficult league but we can be successful in a special Liverpool way.
“Twenty-five years ago [Liverpool’s last title] is a long time. In this time all people have tried to get better, to improve, to take the next title, but history is only the base for us.
“It is all the people are interested in but you don’t take history in your backpack and carry it with you for 25 years. We can wait for it but I don’t want to say we can wait 20 years.
“If we sit here in four years I think we’ll have won one title — I’m pretty sure. If not, the next one may be in Switzerland.”
He added: “When I left Dortmund, my last sentence was that it was not so important what people think when you come in, it is more important what they think what you leave. Please give us time to work on it.”
Liverpool, whose 18th and most recent league title came in 1990, are only 10th in the Premier League at present.
They were runners-up in 2014 but have has only won one trophy, the 2012 League Cup, in the last nine years.
They finished sixth last season and Klopp said: “This is one of the biggest problems you have here, in the island.
“For sure the Premier League is one of the most difficult leagues in the world because five, six or seven clubs can be the champion and at the end only the one is the champion.”
Klopp, who described himself as the “Normal One” at the news conference, insisted he is excited about the players he has inherited from Brendan Rodgers.
“This is a great club with great potential, fast players, strong players, creative players and good defenders,” he said.
“I am not here only because Liverpool FC was calling. I believe in the potential of this team. [There are] four or five strikers you can work with when they are not injured, midfielders, defenders and the goalkeeper is really good.”
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