Jurgen Klopp has explained the unique way in which he experienced Trent Alexander-Arnold and Divock Origi combining to sink Barcelona in the Champions League last season.
The boss said that he actually didn’t see the goal at the time, as he was looking toward to bench to consider bringing a fresh pair of legs on.
He did mention though that what he experienced is something that he’ll struggle to forget. The German boss explained that all he heard was the noise.
“Unfortunately, the most incredible moment in the history of the Champions League … I didn’t actually see it. Maybe this is a good metaphor for the life of a football manager, I don’t know,” he said in a piece for the Players’ Tribune.
“But I completely missed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s moment of pure genius. I saw the ball go out for a corner. I saw Trent walking over to take it. I saw Shaqiri following him.
“But then I turned my back because we were preparing to make a substitution. I was talking to my assistant, and … you know, I have goose bumps every time I think about it … I just heard the noise.
“I turned to the pitch and I saw the ball flying into the goal. I turned back to our bench and looked at Ben Woodburn, and he said, “What just happened?!” And I said, “I have no idea!”
“Anfield was going — boof — absolutely crazy.”
It’s incredible to think that the moment that sent Anfield, and millions of people around the world, into absolute raptures was missed by the man who helped make it happen.
Klopp’s version of events is interesting though – I can’t imagine having your back to the action and just hearing a deafening sound as you wonder what’s just happened.
The boss didn’t have the luxury of being able to rewind, and so he wouldn’t have known how the goal was scored for some time.
Klopp turning his back to the action also helps show just how ingenious of a move it was by Trent – not even his own manager seen it coming! It’s a good job Origi noticed before the Barcelona defenders switched on.