Jurgen Klopp again tells Liverpool to “fail in the most beautiful way” in comeback pursuit

Jurgen Klopp was peppered with questions about another 3-0 comeback that was required in European comPetition, and his sentiment remained the same nearly five years later.

Liverpool know the score and the task ahead of them at Atalanta on Thursday, but it is not as though they are heading into the clash bursting with any confidence.

So while the media were eager to draw comparisons to a similar task that was required against Barcelona, Klopp laughed off when asked about how he will approach his team talk, with reporters referencing the 4-0 win over Barcelona at Anfield.

He did, however, refer back to his famous quote from the eve of that match in 2019, which went like this: “If we can do it, wonderful. If we can’t do it, let’s fail in the most beautiful way.”

And that message remains true ahead of what could be his final European game at Liverpool.

Speaking in Bergamo on Wednesday night, Klopp said: “I usually don’t prepare these things, especially not a day before or four years before – what I will say to the boys I will think about tomorrow.

“But definitely nothing about these things were in the press conference before, but I remember that I said, ‘if we fail, let’s fail in the most beautiful way’, and that’s exactly how I see it again.

“I said it already, we want to win the game. But if we want to win, we better play good, and if you play good we have a chance to win it. Then we will see.

“Directly after the Game [last week] everyone in the stadium at Liverpool, supporters, Atalanta, and our staff thought that’s it, but since then I don’t think everybody thinks it’s already decided.

“We are here and we can be good, let’s see what we can put on the pitch tomorrow, but my team meeting will not happen in front of the world in the press conference.

“If we win, the players will find a reason to tell the world what I said, and if we lose, no one will want to hear what I said.”

Let’s hope we get the former!

On what’s needed, the manager said: “Let’s start with a much better performance and try to win the Game. Then we will see if there is enough time left.”