Last season, Juergen Klopp emerged as one of European football's best coaches. Despite having led Dortmund to improbable back-to-back Bundesliga titles, he was largely under the radar until his BVB side took on heavyweights like Real Madrid and Manchester City in the Champions League.
And after getting the better of Jose Mourinho's Real and finishing top in the group stage, Klopp again outfoxed the Portuguese tactician in the semifinals as he affirmed his place among Europe's best coaches.
Although Dortmund lost in the Champions League final, Klopp can even take some credit for Bayern Munich's win. After seeing Bayern lose all three of their head-to-head matches with BVB in 2011-12, including a 5-2 drubbing in the DFB-Pokal final, Jupp Heynckes adapted his tactical style to incorporate Klopp's famous high-intensity gegenpressing.
The result? An unprecedented treble.
Klopp's tactics may have changed over the years, but his character and attitude toward coaching have remained consistent since his early years at Mainz. Above all else, Klopp emphasizes the importance of passion, emotion and attitude.
When his Mainz were promoted to the first division, he took the team for a five-day preseason camping trip at a lake in Sweden. The players were allowed to bring no food and did not even run for fitness training, let alone play with a football. But the experience built toughness and camaraderie.
"We went to the Bundesliga and people could not believe how strong we were," said Klopp, per Donald McRae of The Guardian.
Klopp is a mentor to his players, the kind of "cool dad" character who is half friend, half father figure. His passion inspires players to give everything for the club and to never, ever give up hope. He emphasizes that every game is important and that every goal is special: Rather than showing his team video footage of Barcelona's tiki-taka style of play, he instead uses still photos to illustrate how the Catalan giants celebrate every goal as though it were their first. That, to him, is a much more important lesson than subjecting his side to a brand of football they would not use.
Martin Rose/Getty Images
Dortmund's method of swarming opponents makes ball-retention difficult even for the most skillful of midfielders.
On the pitch, Klopp has always used a daring, high-energy game plan. The value of his cavalier system was perhaps evident from his very first season at Dortmund, when he led a relegation-battling side to a sixth-placed finish in the Bundesliga. But it was only two seasons later, after Klopp had built a team capable of winning the Bundesliga, that gegenpressing gained widespread acclaim.
Fundamentally, gegenpressing is a rather simple tactical approach: A team simply plays at full pace for 90 minutes, approaching every moment as though they are down a goal late in a major final. After losing possession, players will swarm their opponents, giving them no time on the ball regardless of position and location.
According to Klopp, gegenpressing is the best playmaker there is. And he has good reason: Pressing has led to many goals for BVB, a perfect example of which being Robert Lewandowski's opener against Real Madrid at the Signal-Iduna Park last October.
Use opposition instructions only if assisstant manager has tactical knowledge of 15+. on opposition instructions make sure every player is closing down.
training, make sure tactics are at a decent level of fluidity and then use attacking training.
use Counter against bigger clubs and Attacking against smaller clubs and if winning by 2 or more goals then use "take breather" for last 10 minutes
Dont expect instant results. give it time.
And after getting the better of Jose Mourinho's Real and finishing top in the group stage, Klopp again outfoxed the Portuguese tactician in the semifinals as he affirmed his place among Europe's best coaches.
Although Dortmund lost in the Champions League final, Klopp can even take some credit for Bayern Munich's win. After seeing Bayern lose all three of their head-to-head matches with BVB in 2011-12, including a 5-2 drubbing in the DFB-Pokal final, Jupp Heynckes adapted his tactical style to incorporate Klopp's famous high-intensity gegenpressing.
The result? An unprecedented treble.
Klopp's tactics may have changed over the years, but his character and attitude toward coaching have remained consistent since his early years at Mainz. Above all else, Klopp emphasizes the importance of passion, emotion and attitude.
When his Mainz were promoted to the first division, he took the team for a five-day preseason camping trip at a lake in Sweden. The players were allowed to bring no food and did not even run for fitness training, let alone play with a football. But the experience built toughness and camaraderie.
"We went to the Bundesliga and people could not believe how strong we were," said Klopp, per Donald McRae of The Guardian.
Klopp is a mentor to his players, the kind of "cool dad" character who is half friend, half father figure. His passion inspires players to give everything for the club and to never, ever give up hope. He emphasizes that every game is important and that every goal is special: Rather than showing his team video footage of Barcelona's tiki-taka style of play, he instead uses still photos to illustrate how the Catalan giants celebrate every goal as though it were their first. That, to him, is a much more important lesson than subjecting his side to a brand of football they would not use.
Martin Rose/Getty Images
Dortmund's method of swarming opponents makes ball-retention difficult even for the most skillful of midfielders.
On the pitch, Klopp has always used a daring, high-energy game plan. The value of his cavalier system was perhaps evident from his very first season at Dortmund, when he led a relegation-battling side to a sixth-placed finish in the Bundesliga. But it was only two seasons later, after Klopp had built a team capable of winning the Bundesliga, that gegenpressing gained widespread acclaim.
Fundamentally, gegenpressing is a rather simple tactical approach: A team simply plays at full pace for 90 minutes, approaching every moment as though they are down a goal late in a major final. After losing possession, players will swarm their opponents, giving them no time on the ball regardless of position and location.
According to Klopp, gegenpressing is the best playmaker there is. And he has good reason: Pressing has led to many goals for BVB, a perfect example of which being Robert Lewandowski's opener against Real Madrid at the Signal-Iduna Park last October.
Use opposition instructions only if assisstant manager has tactical knowledge of 15+. on opposition instructions make sure every player is closing down.
training, make sure tactics are at a decent level of fluidity and then use attacking training.
use Counter against bigger clubs and Attacking against smaller clubs and if winning by 2 or more goals then use "take breather" for last 10 minutes
Dont expect instant results. give it time.
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