Why Jurgen Klopp always runs down tunnel at half-time for Liverpool | OneFootball

Jurgen Klopp has been a divisive character since joining Liverpool back in 2015, but he's a one-of-a-kind manager and the Reds are certainly lucky to have him. Since arriving as Brendan Rodgers' replacement, the German has transformed Liverpool's way of playing by implementing his famous 'gegenpressing' style.

Liverpool are now one of the best at winning back possession in the Premier League and perhaps even the best going forward. He has enjoyed a wonderful spell at Anfield, winning the Premier League and Champions League, to name only a few of his remarkable achievements so far.

The German coach recently stunned the football world by announcing that he'll be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. Klopp, 56, has captured the hearts of Reds fans over the last nine years and confirmed the news in an interview with the Premier League giants.

Passion and tactics aside, the 56-year-old has become renowned for another aspect of his managerial style: running down the tunnel at half-time in almost every game. As soon as the referee blows his whistle, Klopp can often be seen running down the tunnel towards the dressing rooms - but why does he do it?

Why Klopp runs down the tunnel at half-time

The revered German coach has his reasons

Over the years, many fans have spotted that the Reds' head coach has become accustomed to running down the tunnel before the half-time whistle is blown. Klopp looks like a man on a mission when he leaves his dugout and runs down the tunnel, but according to the former Borussia Dortmund manager himself, there is a reason for it.

Back in 2016, Klopp explained to Goal, per Liverpool's official website, that he often counts down the minutes to half-time because he knows how important it is to his players. He also has a lot to get through during the 15-minute break, such as medical checks, video analysis, and a general team talk, so he runs to get things started as quickly as possible.

"Sometimes I'm really waiting for half time. It's like, 'Come on four minutes, five minutes to go,' so we can fix things.

"The break is a very important time. I give the players first the opportunity to breathe, to drink and the medical staff checks if they are all alright.

"Then we watch a few situations from the first half, only when they are really clear for our message we use them. If not, we don’t and I talk to the players.

"I really like it because it's a very important situation. For example: you are 2-0 in the lead and everybody knows 2-0 doesn't decide the game at half time, but actually sometimes it feels like it.

"So it's a real challenge to stay concentrated, to stay awake, to do the right things, to keep on going and all that stuff.

"Or being only 1-0 down, which is a completely different situation and there's so many to work through."

One of Klopp's right-hand men, Peter Krawietz, shed some light as to why the Liverpool boss can be seen running from his dugout and down the tunnel. Klopp tends to leave the players alone for around five minutes, with Krawietz leading the analysis and showing clips to the German where the side can improve in the second half.

Footage of Klopp running down the tunnel

Liverpool manager's tactics paid off

During Liverpool's crunch clash with Manchester United in March 2023 at Anfield, Klopp's side struggled to break down the Red Devils for most of the first half. However, on the stroke of half-time, Cody Gakpo scored to give the Merseyside outfit a crucial lead going into the final 45.

With the game still all to play for, footage emerged of Klopp sprinting down the tunnel as soon as the whistle went. Whatever the German coach said to his players at half-time seemed to pay off in a big way.

The Reds scored two goals within the first five minutes of the restart and would go on to batter their rivals 7-0. The result was the biggest win in the history of the fixture, passing Liverpool's 7-1 victory in the 1895-96 season. Their win over United saw Klopp's side move up to fifth, three points behind Tottenham in the race for a Champions League spot. Footage below (skip to 8:20) shows the manager running down the tunnel at half-time during the club's league clash with Manchester United.

Jurgen Klopp's time at Liverpool

The Reds faithful will always remember him fondly

As alluded to, Klopp confirmed that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season after a nine-year spell at Anfield. During his time at the club, the former Borussia Dortmund boss has won six major titles. His first major success came in the 2018/19 season when he guided the club to the Champions League title, defeating Premier League rivals Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi.

Things got even better for the Liverpool faithful the following season as the club won three trophies that campaign, including the Premier League. The Reds walked the league and eventually finished the season 18 points clear of second place Manchester City.

His last success came two years ago when the side defeated Chelsea on penalties in a dramatic FA Cup final at Wembley. The club have enjoyed a successful start to the 2023/24 campaign. Klopp's side remain in the Europa League and are currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

However, fans are already preparing to wave goodbye to one of the greatest managers in the club's history. Supporters could have to pay as much as £25,000 to have the honour of watching Klopp take charge of his final game at Anfield. This match in question is in the Premier League against Wolves on 19 May. It's reported that on one black market website, tickets are being priced at £18,000. Add VAT and the site's service fee, and the total sum comes to £24,480.