Klopp wants Liverpool to parade to celebrate League Cup

Coach Jurgen Klopp does not have a say, but is ready to participate if Liverpool hold a parade to celebrate the English League Cup title.

According to The Telegraph , an open-top bus parade is not usually an option for Liverpool after winning the League Cup. But the board are ready to "break the rules" and have a special parade because Klopp will leave the team at the end of the season. This unusual event is being considered not only to celebrate the success in the League Cup, but also to send a farewell to the German coach after nine years of association.

On January 26, Klopp announced his departure from Liverpool after the 2023-2024 season ended. He said he was running out of energy and confirmed that he would not lead any other club in the Premier League. In more than eight years leading Liverpool, the German coach collected all the titles with the Premier League, FA Cup, two English League Cups, FA Community Shield, Champions League, European Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. He has the opportunity to win the Europa League this season.

Coach Jurgen Klopp lifts the League Cup after Liverpool beat Chelsea 1-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium on February 25, 2024. Photo: AFP

Klopp does not see any parade Liverpool stage as marking the end of his time at Anfield, but rather as a way to celebrate success with the fans. "That's the part that's not so nice, that a parade could be seen as a farewell. I don't think that makes sense," the German said ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round clash with Southampton. "Apart from that, I'm the biggest supporter of trophy parades. I don't decide that, people might be surprised, and these things have to be prepared from different points of view. But if there's a parade, I'll be on the bus, no doubt about that!"

Liverpool will still be planning this even if they fail to win any silverware in the final three months of the season. In Klopp's final season at Anfield, Liverpool are still in with a chance of a quadruple. They have won the League Cup, are top of the Premier League, face Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup today and play Sparta Prague in the last 16 of the Europa League.

The trophy parade is expected to take place on 20 May if Liverpool do not reach the Europa League or FA Cup final. If they only reach the Europa League final, it will take place on 23 May - the day after the title match in Dublin. The latest time for the parade is the day after the FA Cup final at Wembley on 26 May.

An estimated 500,000 fans lined the streets to watch Liverpool's 2022 FA Cup and League Cup double parade, which was held after the Reds lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid. Liverpool paraded their first trophy after winning the Champions League in 2019, to incredible scenes along a 13.5km route through the city's streets and riverbanks.

In the League Cup final victory over Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley on the evening of February 25, Liverpool were without 11 first-team players and had to promote many young players from the academy. Among them, Conor Bradley (20) started, while James McConnell, Bobby Clark (19), Harvey Elliott (20) and Jarell Quansah (21) were all on the pitch when referee Chris Kavanagh blew the final whistle.

Klopp said Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Dominik Szoboszlai are unlikely to recover in time, and Thiago Alcantara is likely to be out for the rest of the season, so he will continue to give young players a chance to play against Southampton.

Hong Duy

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