The fist celebration that Liverpool fans loved most reappeared at Anfield after about two years.
The British Daily Mail reported on the 29th (KST), "Jürgen Klopp (59) once again showcased the iconic 'fist celebration' at Anfield after about two years."
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp sat on the bench at the charity match between Liverpool legends and Borussia Dortmund legends held at Anfield in Liverpool, England on the 29th. That day he led the Liverpool legends team alongside Kenny Dalglish. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. The proceeds will be donated to the LFC Foundation.
More interest than the result was Klopp's very return. He went straight to the Kop stand immediately after the final whistle. He then thrust both hands forcefully three times in succession. It was the iconic celebration he showed after many victories during his time as Liverpool manager. The whole of Anfield shook with cheers.
Liverpool legends in this match included goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, Martin Škrtel, Steven Gerrard, Thiago Alcântara, Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt.
For Dortmund, goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller, Łukasz Piszczek, Marcel Schmelzer, Jakub Błaszczykowski, Lee Young-pyo and Jan Koller participated.
After the match Jürgen Klopp said, "It was great. It felt like nothing had changed. I enjoyed every moment," adding, "My role today wasn't to talk a lot. It was for the foundation, and it was a special experience to meet Liverpool and Dortmund players again after a long time."
He continued, "The fans seemed to enjoy the moment to their fullest. I was happy just to watch the players play. Thiago Alcântara alone was worth the ticket price," he laughed.
In fact the player who received the biggest applause that day was Thiago Alcântara. A member of the 2019-2020 title-winning squad under Klopp, he paired with Steven Gerrard in midfield. The two never played together during their active careers. Fans poured out imaginations such as, "How incredible would it have been if peak Thiago and Gerrard had been together."
Thiago Alcântara was named player of the match. However he could not just smile throughout the game. The match was briefly halted around the 20th minute of the first half for a moment of remembrance for Diogo Jota, who died in a traffic accident last summer.
Thiago could not hide his emotions at that moment. He covered his face with his jersey and cried. He finally welled up recalling a former teammate he had played with.
After the tribute to Diogo Jota ended, Thiago also scored. After the match he said, "It was an unbelievable moment. I will cherish it for life," adding with a laugh, "After I scored I told Stevie (Gerrard) that it was the fastest I've run since coming to Liverpool."
He added, "Playing in front of 62,000 fans was truly amazing. We always feel like we're returning home when we come here."
Steven Gerrard also expressed his respect for Thiago. He said, "As soon as I heard Thiago was coming, I decided to play too. There is mutual respect," adding, "My mind works as fast as before but my body lags by two to three seconds. There were frustrating moments but it was truly a fantastic experience."
He continued, "My legs don't move like they did 10 or 15 years ago. It took too long to meet these players since last year," adding, "Liverpool is the greatest city in the world. When someone needs help, everyone steps up. Today is proof of that."
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