"We are really blessed that we brought them all together" - Jurgen Klopp makes major claim about Liverpool squad ahead of Champions League final against Real Madrid
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has lavished praise on his players ahead of the Champions League final against Real Madrid. The Reds will take on Spanish La Liga winners in the Champions League final on Saturday night in Paris (May 28).
Klopp's side narrowly missed out on the Premier League title this season. However, they can still finish their campaign by completing a treble with a win over Real Madrid as they have already won the two domestic cups.
Ahead of the game, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp waxed lyrical about his players. The former Borussia Dortmund boss insisted that he cherishes the fact that he has evolved with this group of players at Anfield. He told BBC Sport:
"How special is this group of players? Very special. Best I ever had. Yeah, definitely. We grew together. They're fantastic people. Look, they are young, but in the future, it will be a joy to follow them, what they are doing because they're so smart."
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Klopp insisted that this core group of players will remain the same for the foreseeable future. He added:
"We are really blessed that we brought them all together. It's an open group. Other players can join us and some believers. But the core will stay. And together with the people at Liverpool, we are quite powerful. I know it's a cliche but it feels like a family."
Can Liverpool overcome Real Madrid in the final?
Liverpool and Real Madrid have both come a long way since they met in the Champions League final in 2018 in Kyiv.
The game finished 3-1 in favor of Los Blancos on that occasion, with Mohamed Salah suffering a horrific injury inflicted by Sergio Ramos in the first half.
The Reds were the underdogs in 2018 but they head into the final on Saturday as the favorites.
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Real Madrid have done incredibly well to make their way to the final, beating PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City dramatically in the knockout stages. The Spanish giants have won the European competition 13 times in 16 finals.
On the other hand, Liverpool have won the Champions League on six occasions while losing three finals.