By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- German media and their football legends praise Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp after his first Champions League triumph Saturday evening.
The Stuttgart-born 51-year-old is only the third German coach after Ottmar Hitzfeld (1997 Borussia Dortmund/2001 Bayern Munich) and Jupp Heynckes (1998 Real Madrid/2013 Bayern Munich) to win the Champions League.
Bild said: "His contract is running until 2023, but, dear Liverpool, in the near future we want him back - as our national coach." The tabloid added: "Liverpool beKLOPPt vor Glueck" (delirious with happiness) using the wordplay "bekloppt" (crazy) in connection with the former Dortmund coach's name.
The Sueddeutsche Zeitung saw Klopp "at the end of a hero's journey." The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung commented: "Mission accomplished!"
The news-magazine Spiegel said: "Look, he can do it." The Focus noticed: "Klopp has got the cup!"
The football magazine kicker emphasized: "Klopp's curse is broken."
The Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung headlined "Klopp at the top." The paper showed a photo of "the flying Klopp" after the Liverpool coach was lifted up to the air by his players.
Former German international and TV pundit Lothar Matthaeus demanded Klopp has to be elected as FIFA's coach of the year. The 150-time capped former Bayern Munich professional said Klopp won't leave Liverpool in the next years.
"I am sure he is going for new challenges such as the Premier League title, and it wouldn't surprise me when he intends to defend the Champions League title. There is a lot left for him with Liverpool," the 58-year-old Matthaeus underlined, adding: "Don't forget the FIFA World Cup for clubs."
Matthaeus said to win the national title in England "is a vital issue for a side like the Reds." Having won the Champions League "is only the starting point for him and the LFC."
Former German team captain and Chelsea professional Michael Ballack said Klopp has deserved to reach the top "like nobody else" after having lost his last six finals such as the Champions League finals of 2013 (to Bayern Munich) and 2018 (Real Madrid), the Europa League final in 2016 (to FC Sevilla).
Like Matthaeus, the 42-year-old praised Klopp for his development "as he won this year's final by abandoning the typical Klopp style."
Instead of exclusively counting on the "Klopp style" of containing an intense forwarding strategy, the Reds acted with less speed and emotion but delivered a well-balanced performance keeping cool over the entire 90 minutes after Mo Salah's early lead in only two minutes followed by the second goal after 87 minutes by the former Belgian international Divock Origi.
Klopp couldn't hold back his tears in several TV interviews admitting his relief. "I am so happy for my family as they suffered much more than I did," he commented, adding: "And I am happy for my wife as I can give her the gold medal as a present."
In an interview with Norwegian television carried out by former Bundesliga professional Jan Aage Fjortoft, Klopp began to sing his version of the pop song "let's talk about sex baby" changing the poem to "let's talk about six baby" referring to the six finals he had lost before.
