Klopp: No Mainz and Dortmund repeat in seventh Liverpool year

Jurgen Klopp endured a difficult seventh year at both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund but insists history isn’t repeating itself.
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Jurgen Klopp has dismissed claims that Liverpool are falling victim to an alleged pattern of his managerial career: the difficult seventh year.

The 55-year-old endured a disappointing finish to what had been successful seven-year stints in charge of both of his previous clubs.

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For Mainz, that meant a failure to secure an instant return to the Bundesliga after relegation, while a Borussia Dortmund side that had won numerous titles under Klopp slumped to seventh place in the top flight.

It has been suggested that a similar fate is befalling Liverpool, who have made a slow start to the campaign after coming close to a quadruple last term.

However, Klopp has pushed back against the idea that history is repeating itself as he closes in on his seventh anniversary at Anfield.

He said: "The situation in the clubs was really different. A seven-year spell is not planned or because I lost energy, or things like this.

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"I was a manager at Mainz and after three years we got promoted to the Bundesliga then three years later we got relegated to the 2.Bundesliga.

"We tried one more year and the club needed a change, players left us for the Bundesliga so they needed a fresh start, definitely.

"I was full of energy, I went directly to Dortmund and it was all fine. I could have stayed there, they wanted me to stay, nobody thought 'It's done', we just couldn't make the Bundesliga that year because we were fourth in the second league.

"Dortmund, seven years and it was just a situation that players constantly got pulled out, bought by other clubs and left for whatever reason.

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"It was a really hard job to do and do that constantly, instead of developing a team, constantly making two steps back.

"Like if anybody asks you aren't as good as last year or better than last year, but we would be happy if we could be as good as last year, we just lost key players on different positions.

"It was really intense and really exhausting, which is the reason why I said we had to stop it here. But I didn't have an energy problem, not at all.

"I said now a make a year holiday but Pep did it, Thomas Tuchel did it. I couldn't do it, actually, after four months I was here!

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"I have absolutely no problem with energy and the situation is completely different here. I can understand that I left after seven years [in the past] and now we are in a difficult situation and people take that but, if you think twice about it, you realise the situation is completely different.

"Being seven years here is intense, no doubt about that; I got older, everybody got older. That's time, but it's nice as well. I got so many things back that give you a boost. That's where we are now."

Liverpool’s poor recent form means they sit 11 points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal ahead of a trip to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

It is a deficit that even the typically upbeat Klopp admits makes it unlikely that his team can win the championship this year.

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He continued: "Yes, it's a difficult time; did I think before the season we would be ninth after matchday seven? No, because I don't think about these things.

"But this is the basis now, let's go from here. And if there's one club that has a chance to go through it together, it's us.

"You don't have to do it always the same way like all others. Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel and yet Klopp stays in the job - you don't have to ask me why that is the case, but we have the chance still to create something really special from this point.

"Does it look in the moment like we will be champions at the end of the year? Unfortunately not.

"But in all other competitions, we are not out yet and nobody knows where we will end up in the league, so let's give it a go. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. That's enough, let's go from here."

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