'Incredible' to finish third
Klopp lauds Reds for securing Champions League return with superb form in run-in
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Manager Jurgen Klopp hugging Georginio Wijnaldum after Liverpool's 2-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday. The emotional Netherlands midfielder came off to a standing ovation in his final Reds game.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
LONDON • Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said on Sunday that sealing a place in next season's Champions League on the day fans returned to Anfield for a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace was a dream come true.
Despite a difficult season that saw their Premier League title defence end tamely owing to a number of long-term injuries to key players, the hosts' 10-game unbeaten run to finish the campaign saw the Reds finish third behind champions Manchester City and Manchester United.
Fans were shut out when Liverpool ended a 30-year wait to win a league title last season because of Covid-19 curbs.
The 10,000 crowd on Sunday was the biggest at Anfield for 14 months and there were loud cheers as Sadio Mane's double ensured a fifth successive season of Champions League football.
"Finishing the season in third is incredible. I can't believe it. Credit to the boys, I can't believe how it worked out in the last few weeks," said Klopp.
"Outstanding, (the) best I could've dreamt of. We wanted this feeling, this game, this atmosphere."
The German could even afford the luxury of withdrawing Georginio Wijnaldum to a standing ovation on his final Liverpool appearance late on.
The Netherlands midfielder is out of contract in the summer and has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona.
On the 30-year-old, who joined the club from Newcastle in 2016, Klopp said: "Gini Wijnaldum is leaving the club and we all love him to bits. We will miss him so much, with football, it's normal that people leave but I will miss him so much."
Wijnaldum won both the Champions League and Premier League during his five seasons at Liverpool and was emotional in his post-match interview.
"I'm fighting against tears right now," said the former Feyenoord star. "I have to start a new adventure. I knew I went to a big club.
"I remember that I was sitting in the living room and the manager said when I come to Liverpool, we would win prizes. I am happy it went that well. It would have been really painful to leave the club without any."
While Liverpool will look forward to next season with optimism despite a trophy-less campaign, Chelsea hope they can end the term with silverware in hand.
The Blues will take on City in the Champions League final on Saturday but had Tottenham not upset Leicester away, Thomas Tuchel's side would have been facing the prospect of beating Pep Guardiola's men in Porto to claim a spot in European football's premier competition.
The German admitted that his London side were fortunate to claim fourth spot in the league after a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa, saying: "We are lucky that Tottenham did the job for us and finished the job for us today."
Of bigger concern will be the fitness of first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who was taken off at half-time after suffering a knock at Villa Park.
On the Senegalese, Tuchel yesterday confirmed that he had "made a huge improvement in the management of pain" and was hopeful the 29-year-old could return to training later this week.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
