Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has urged the club to pay tribute to Jürgen Klopp on his final game at Anfield. Klopp announced on Friday that he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season in a body blow to supporters.
He will now set his sights on ending his incredible tenure with silverware with Liverpool fighting on four fronts in the second half of the campaign. And with the Premier League title race likely to go down to the wire, the final home match of the season could be decisive.
Liverpool hosts Wolves at Anfield on May 19 in what promises to be an emotional occasion and Fowler believes Liverpool should rename the famous Kop stand for the match, in tribute to the outgoing German manager.
“Klopp will be remembered as Liverpool’s greatest ever manager — and I am calling on the club to rename the most famous stand in football ‘The Klopp’ for his final game at Anfield,” Fowler writes in his Daily Mirror column.
“That’s quite a statement for me to make when you think about the role that legends like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Sir Kenny Dalglish have played in making Liverpool history over the last 65 years. Shanks turned Anfield into the “bastion of invincibility” he envisaged after taking over a club languishing in the second division.
“Paisley built six championship-winning teams and is still the only British manager to win three European Cups. And Sir Kenny, of course, won the Double in his first season as player-manager and later sacrificed so much of himself by guiding Liverpool through the tragedy of Hillsborough with incredible dignity.
“Ranking these great men often comes down to a generational opinion. There is a powerful argument that Klopp is No 1. He has won every trophy possible in the eight years since he arrived at a club that had been treading water for so long. But not only has he brought success to Merseyside, he has also restored a Scouse sense of pride and passion.
“The two new stands at Anfield and the top-notch training ground at Kirkby, paid for by his hard work, are tributes to him. But I hope Liverpool give Jürgen a proper send-off before he leaves at season’s end. Renaming The Kop in his honor for his last home game would be spot on.
“There’ll likely be a lasting tribute to the man at some point. I’ve always wondered why we wait until people are gone to honor them with memorials. Liverpool’s fans will want to show Jürgen their love while he can still enjoy it.”
Fowler admits he was caught completely off-guard by the announcement with Klopp confirming the news before Liverpool’s FA Cup clash with Fulham. He added: “Funny enough, I was in Manchester when they announced he’s leaving Liverpool at season’s end. I had to check the date to make sure it wasn’t some cheeky Mancunian pulling my leg! It’s no overstatement to say that Liverpool’s fans are feeling pretty down.
“I don’t think Liverpool’s players will lose focus during their manager’s farewell tour. In fact, it might make them even stronger — and if he can use the passion from the fans, Liverpool could become unstoppable.
“The Reds still have a chance to win four trophies — and wouldn’t it be great if Jurgen’s last act at Anfield was to lift the Premier League trophy in front of a full crowd? Liverpool is known for being a family club — and Klopp has been the perfect fit because he shares values that have been important at Anfield for a long time. He might love football, he might love Liverpool. But Jürgen has always said that family comes first.”
